Sri Lanka on top in Ahmedabad

A magnificent double century from Mahela Jayawardene put Sri Lanka in complete command on the third day of the first Test against India in Ahmedabad.

The former captain annihilated India's attack en route to an unbeaten 204 and contributed handsomely to substantial partnerships with Thilan Samaraweera (70) and Prasanna Jayawardene (84 not out) to edge Sri Lanka closer to their first ever Test win in India.

The visitors, who had resumed on 275 for three, ended the third day in dominant position at 591 for five, a lead of 165 over India's first innings total of 426.

Sri Lanka's innings revolved around Mahela Jayawardene's classy innings.

The 32-year-old, who relinquished the captaincy in March this year to concentrate on his batting, played with skill and panache although he was never really troubled by India's lacklustre bowlers.

India had begun with spin from both ends in the morning and, while Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra produced considerable turn, they lacked sting.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni had begun with attacking fields but with Mahela Jayawardene and Samaraweera motoring along nicely and with runs flowing, the India captain quickly pushed the field back.

Samaraweera, five away from his 20th half-century at the start of the day, cover drove Harbhajan to reach the mark and had looked good for a century when Ishant Sharma produced the breakthrough just after the first drinks break.

Ishant lured Samarweera into a pull and was brilliantly caught by Yuvraj Singh in front of the square leg umpire, the dismissal ending an association worth 138 for the fourth wicket.

The balance swung slightly in India's favour when Harbhajan won a fortunate verdict from umpire Daryl Harper which ended Angelo Mathews' stay.

Mathews, who had only in the previous over hit Mishra for a six and four, played forward to a delivery which spun off the pad and looped to Gautam Gambhir at forward short leg.

Harper decided Mathews had edged the ball, though television replays indicated no bat was involved.

Runs had come at a steady rate all through the morning and the pace quickened in the first hour after lunch when Prasanna Jayawardene joined Mahela Jayawardene.

Rather than drive home the advantage of the twin blows in the earlier session, India lost the plot in the afternoon session, conceding 68 in the first hour after the interval.

It helped Prasanna Jayawardene settle in nicely and he played out a solid hand, although not as fluent as his partner.

Mahela Jayawardene duly reached his 27th Test century and he continued to build nicely, steering Sri Lanka to a formidable lead.

Desperate for success, India's bowlers adopted the slightly negative tactic of pitching in the rough outside leg stump for much of the final session.

Mishra came agonisingly close on a few occasions, but rather than sever the partnership, the strategy only briefly stemmed the flow of runs.

With his leading bowlers proving ineffective, Dhoni called on the rarely used spin of part-timer Sachin Tendulkar, but even his seven overs yielded no breakthrough.

With just over two overs remaining for stumps, Mahela Jayawardene scrambled a single off Zaheer Khan to reach his sixth Test double century.