Centuries give Sri Lanka boost versus India

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Centuries from Malinda Warnapura, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Samaraweera guided Sri Lanka to 422 for four on the second day of the first test against India on Thursday.

Opener Warnapura scored 115 from 202 balls with 14 boundaries while skipper Jayawardene compiled a stylish 136, an innings spanning 259 deliveries including 10 fours and a six.

The pairing of Warnapura and Jayawardene added 155 runs either side of lunch as India's bowlers were forced to toil hard throughout the first two sessions.

Samaraweera, who put on 148 with Jayawardene, continued the Sri Lanka run spree until the close of play, finishing unbeaten on 111 from 187 balls with 16 boundaries.

Tillakaratne Dilshan was unbeaten on 20.

Jayawardene's century was the 23rd of his career and his ninth at the Sinhalese Sports Club, a record for the most centuries at a single venue that he now shares with Australian great Donald Bradman.

"This has been a very friendly venue for me over the years and this pitch is a very good batting pitch," Jayawardene told reporters.

"If you get settled in on a wicket like this it is quite easy to graft your runs, and I was a bit lucky today as they dropped a couple of chances," he added.

"We'll make sure that we've got enough runs to put plenty of pressure on them and then we'll see what our bowlers can get out of the pitch."

INDIA FRUSTRATED

India's bowlers were frustrated by a flat and slow pitch during a wicket-less morning session.

The closest they came to dismissing Warnapura was when he was caught and bowled by Zaheer Khan off a no ball on 55.

Jayawardene had a let off, also on 55, when wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik dropped an edge off Anil Kumble.

The second morning also featured the first third umpire review in an ICC referrals trial when India appealed against a not out lbw decision for Warnapura off Harbhajan Singh.

Third umpire Rudi Koertzen agreed with on-field official Mark Benson after TV replays showed the ball would have missed leg stump.

Teams are allowed three unsuccessful appeals per innings.

Warnapura departed after the break with Harbhajan finding spin and bounce to give Rahul Dravid a simple catch at slip.

Sri Lanka would have lost their second wicket of the session had Karthik not grassed a second chance off Kumble, this time off Jayawardene on 93.

India's fielding lapsed again in the evening session as Samaraweera, on 53, escaped when a difficult short leg catch was dropped off Harbhajan.

Karthik finally made amends for his two dropped catches by clinging onto a Jayawardene edge in the final session as Sharma, armed with the new ball, produced an unplayable delivery that swung in and cut away off the seam.

Soon after, Dilshan became the first batsman to successfully challenge a dismissal.

The right-hander was given out caught behind off Khan but TV replays appeared to show the bat brushing the ground and the decision was reversed.

However, later replays after the decision suggested Dilshan was fortunate to have been given a reprieve.