By Sanjay Rajan
AHMEDABAD, India, Nov 18 - Sri Lanka batsman
Mahela Jayawardene became only the seventh batsman in test
cricket to score six or more double hundreds when he made 204
not out against India in the first test on Wednesday.
Australia's Don Bradman tops the list with 12 double
hundreds and West Indian Brian Lara is second with nine.
England's Walter Hammond (7) and Pakistan's Javed Miandad
and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and Marvan Atapattu (six each)
were the other members of the select club.
The 32-year-old Jayawardene's remarkable effort on the third
day helped the visitors reach 591 for five at the close on day
three in reply to India's 426.
"After playing for so many years I have realised what my
strengths and weaknesses are and how to manage my innings and
how to build the innings," Jayawardene told reporters after
notching his second double hundred of the year.
"Once you get to a stage, you realise how to pace your
innings and how to attack and how to play on different
surfaces," said the former captain whose test best is 374
against South Africa in 2006.
It was Jayawardene's 27th test century but the first on
Indian soil.
Sri Lanka are ranked second behind South Africa in the
official test rankings and are aiming to win their first test
match on Indian soil since their first visit in 1982.
Jayawardene, who shared in a Sri Lanka record unbroken sixth
wicket stand of 216 with wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene (84),
has given the tourists a good chance to achieve that goal.
"When we came we had a very realistic plan of beating India
with the team we had and with the way we have been playing test
cricket in the last two three years," he said.
"So it was one of our goals and the way everything was set
up we were disappointed to let India get away after the
excellent start we had on the first day," he said reflecting on
India's recovery from 32 for four.
"We still knew the wicket was good and (Tillakaratne)
Dilshan (112) batted superbly giving us the momentum.
"But the important thing was not to lose wickets as we have
ample time. If we can build up a good lead we can create
opportunities."
Jayawardene, who notched up a second double hundred against
India, rated this effort as one of his best.
"Given the situation and playing against India in India
that's high up in my effort. But the thing is I have only played
three tests here and this is my fourth," he said.
"I had a couple of fifties here in the last tour and I was
disappointed and I was determined to get my first hundred here."
(Editing by Pritha Sarkar; To query or comment on this story
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