DILSHAN’S TON
I am really satisfied with this knock against a very good bowling unit. I really enjoyed my batting today
-Dilshan
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara plundered untroubled centuries on a flat batting track that offered hardly anything to the bowlers on the opening day of the first cricket test here in Galle yesterday.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardene also chipped in with a stroke-filled unbeaten half century as the hosts enjoyed the perfect conditions after winning the toss to send the visitors on a leather hunt.
"I will give some credit to Dilshan and Sanga for the way they played in these conditions" Pakistan stand-in captain Mohammad Hafeez said.
"They really looked like they had some plans against us. As a bowling unit we have to rethink our bowling strategy and we will have to come up with something new," he said.
"The outfield is a bit quicker, once the ball goes past the inner circle it goes for a boundary. We are very happy we restricted them to 300," added Hafeez.
Dilshan began in his usual flamboyant style, reaching the half century in 49 balls with one six and five boundaries, but slowed down considerably in the afternoon session to reach his 13th Test century off 175 balls. The dashing right hander reached his first Test ton in a year by sweeping left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman for a boundary. It was his first three-figure score since making a career-best 193 against England at Lord’s in June last year. But Dilshan lasted just five more balls, before being trapped leg before by off spinner Saeed Ajmal in the penultimate over before Tea. Dilshan’s 101 which contained 13 boundaries and a six in four hours was also his first Test century on home soil for in three years since making 123 not out against New Zealand in 2009 at the same venue.
"I am really satisfied with this knock against a very good bowling unit. I really enjoyed my batting today," said Dilshan.
"Overall I think we handled this quality at- tack pretty well" he added.
The former skipper put on 63 for the opening wicket with Tharanga Paranavithana and added a further 123 for the second wicket with Sangakkara.
Ajmal who was the day’s only successful bowler, induced Paranavithana for a massive heave to get the left hander stumped by Adnan Akmal in the fifth ball of the very first over he bowled.
This came after Paranavithana was shaken when a bat-pad chance offered by him was dropped by Azhar Ali at silly point off Ajmal's third delivery.
Paranavithana who was playing his first Test this year after being dropped for the home series against England in March did not seem to be in best form, having earlier survived a caught behind appeal off paceman Umar Gul, when he was on15.
Umpire Ian Gould turned down the appeal though TV replays showed an edge and Paranavithana survived thanks to the absence of the Decision Review System.
He made 24 with four boundaries in 59 balls. Sangakkara who batted with usual fluency completed his 29th Test hundred, a landmark figure as iconic Don Bradman had also scored that many centuries in his legendary career. But the left hander reached the mark with a heart-in-the-mouth style stolen single and celebrated it on his knees after a fulllength dive to complete the run. Sangakkara remained 111 not out with 13 boundaries off 194 balls and had put on an unbroken 113 runs for the third wicket with Jayawardene by stumps. Jayawardene was 55 not out with eight boundaries off 109 deliveries
Sri Lanka who won the toss, suffered a setback in the morning when left arm paceman Chanaka Welegedara had to be ruled out with a sore shoulder and was replaced by Nuwan Pradeep.
Though batting looked easy Dilshan later insisted it was different in the middle.
“It was not an easy wicket to bat on because the ball had already started to turn” he said. “If we can get around 500 or so tomorrow, we will have a good chance of winning this match.”