Colombo, July 27 (IANS) Skipper Kumar Sangakkara struck his seventh double ton and Mahela Jayawardene completed his 28th century as Sri Lanka piled a mammoth 587 for three in the first innings against India at tea on the second day of the second cricket Test here Tuesday.
Sangakkara made 219 while Mahela Jayawardene was batting on 143 as Sri Lanka added 275 runs in the first two sessions to their overnight score of 312 for two at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground here. Giving Jayawardene company at the other end was Thilan Samaraweera, who was unbeaten on 52.
For Sangakkara it was his seventh double ton, and he surpassed Marvan Atapattu’s six and now has the most double hundreds in his country. Sangakkara’s double-century put him at par with Wally Hammond of England. Only Australian legend Don Bradman (12) and West Indian Brian Lara (9) have more scores of 200 or more.
Jayawardene also reached a personal milestone as his century at this ground was his 10th three-figure knock at the same venue, the most by a batsman at a single ground, surpassing Bradman’s tally of nine at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Jayawardene and Sangakkara, who have Test cricket’s highest partnership of 624 runs at the same venue against South Africa four years ago, put on 193 runs for the third wicket. The duo batted in an aggressive fashion as the Indian bowlers’ suffering continued for the second straight day.
Jayawardene hit 18 boundaries in his 28th Test hundred, building Sri Lanka’s advantage on a lifeless wicket that is proving to be a bowlers’ graveyard.
Sangakkara started the proceedings by hitting Abhimanyu Mithun for a crisp boundary through mid-off and then flicked the next ball through the midwicket for another four.
Sangakkara again smashed Mithun for three successive boundaries in his third over, which helped him surpass the 150-run mark.
Jayawardene also freed his arms with a couple of boundaries off Ishant Sharma and lifted left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha for a four over mid-on to bring up the 100-run partnership for the third wicket.
Ojha found himself at the receiving end of Sangakkara’s blade as the Sri Lankan captain hit four boundaries in five balls to move on to 199. In the next over, Sangakkara’s square drive, well clear of the slip fielder, off Harabhajan raced towards the boundary to bring up his well-deserved double hundred.
Sangakkara, who was on 214 at lunch, fell in the fourth over after the break when he edged a lazy drive off part-time spinner Virender Sehwag to Rahul Dravid at lone slip. The left-handed batsman hit 29 boundaries in his seven-hour stay.
