Ton-up Sangakkara helps Sri Lanka gain lead

Kumar Sangakkara cracked a solid unbeaten 107 to help Sri Lanka gain a slender advantage over injury-hit India in the crucial third and final Test here on Saturday.

The left-hander was involved in two valuable partnerships as the hosts reached 251-6 in their first innings at stumps on the second day in reply to India's 249. Prasanna Jayawardene was unbeaten on one.

Sangakkara put on 95 for the third wicket with nightwatchman Chaminda Vaas

(47) and 60 for the fifth with Thilan Samaraweera (35) on an absorbing day of cricket.

Sangakkara rarely erred in shot selection during his long innings, driving, cutting and pulling remarkably well on the way to his 17th hundred in 76 Tests. He has so far struck 11 fours in his 226-ball knock.

"He (Sangakkara) held the innings together. We needed someone to anchor the innings and that's exactly what he did. The concentration he showed is what makes him a world-class batsman," said Sri Lankan coach Trevor Bayliss.

"We will be looking to try and get as far ahead as possible and then bowl them out again. A lot of hard work has to be done by both the teams."

India struck twice in the final session just when it looked as though Sri Lanka were on course for a big lead, with left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan having Samaraweera caught behind and Anil Kumble trapping Tillakaratne Dilshan (23) leg-before.

The series is tied at 1-1, with Sri Lanka winning the opening Test by an innings and 239 runs and India clinching a 170-run victory in the second match.

India were a paceman short in the last session as Ishant Sharma walked off the field after falling on his follow-through.

India's physio Nitin Patel said the fast bowler felt pain after the fall and the picture would be clearer on Sunday morning.

Venkatsai Laxman was off the field throughout the day after twisting his ankle during practice before the day's play and Sachin Tendulkar injured his left elbow while attempting a catch in the afternoon.

Both Laxman and Tendulkar are expected to bat in the second innings, said manager T. C. Mathew.

India had another injury scare when wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel was hit on the face while collecting a delivery from leg-spinner Kumble. He, however, continued to keep wicket.

"Parthiv has got a minor cut and he will be OK," said the physio, Patel.

The tourists, who grabbed just one wicket in the morning, bounced back in the second session when off-spinner Harbhajan Singh removed a well-set Vaas and in-form captain Mahela Jayawardene in successive overs.

Vaas frustrated India for more than a session with a fighting knock, hitting nine fours before uppishly driving Harbhajan straight to Virender Sehwag in the covers.

Vaas missed a rare double of 3,000 runs and 300 wickets in Test cricket by just two runs. He now has 2,998 runs and 347 wickets in 107 matches.

He had survived twice on 47 before falling on the same score.

He was given out by Mark Benson of England after being caught by close-in fielder Tendulkar off Kumble, but asked the official to review the decision under a new experimental rule.

Benson ruled the batsman not out after consulting TV umpire Billy Doctrove of the West Indies. Vaas was then dropped off Kumble by Tendulkar, who injured his elbow after losing balance.

Jayawardene also asked for a review after he was given out leg-before by umpire Rudi Koertzen of South Africa while attempting to sweep Harbhajan, but the initial decision proved right after consultation with the TV official.

The rule, on trial in the ongoing series, allows a batsman or fielding captain to request a review of any decision by referring it to the third official monitoring television replays.