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| Gambhir leads the Indian charge after a record-breaking day for Sri Lanka [AFP] |
Opener Gautam Gambhir fought back for India after a world record sixth-wicket partnership of 351 helped Sri Lanka take control of the first Test in Ahmedabad.
Gambhir hit 74 not out as India reached 190 for two at close of play on day four after overnight batsmen Mahela Jayawardene (275) and Prasanna Jayawardene (154 not out) extended their world record stand to help Sri Lanka take a first innings lead of 334.
Sri Lanka, who are second on the official Test rankings behind South Africa, declared their first innings after lunch at 760 for seven, giving themselves a chance of winning a Test in India for the first time.
Uphill task
Gambhir put on 81 for the opening wicket with Virender Sehwag who slammed a chancy 51 and 88 with first-inning centurion Rahul Dravid (38) but India face an uphill task, still 144 runs behind.
Nightwatchman Amit Mishra (12) was keeping Gambhir company after Dravid fell leg-before to Chanaka Welegedara.
Sehwag blasted seven boundaries before falling tamely when he top-edged left-arm spinner Rangana Herath to be caught at mid-on.
Former captain Mahela Jayawardene, 204 overnight, fell after lunch while his namesake Prasanna recorded a career-best effort to help Sri Lanka (591-5 overnight) post the highest innings score in India by any team.
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India first innings: 426
(R Dravid 177, M Dhoni 110)
Sri Lanka first innings (591-5 overnight)
T Dilshan c Dravid b Zaheer 112
T Paranavitana c Dhoni b Ishant 35
K Sangakkara c Tendulkar b Zaheer 31
M Jayawardene b Mishra 275
T Samaraweera c Yuvraj b Ishant 70
A Mathews c Gambhir b Harbhajan 17
P Jayawardene not out 154
D Prasad c Mishra b Harbhajan 21
Extras 45
Total (seven wickets declared; 202.4 overs) 760
Fall of wickets: 1-74 2-189 3-194 4-332 5-375 6-726 7-760
India second innings
G Gambhir not out 74
V Sehwag c Mathews b Herath 51
R Dravid lbw b Welegedara 38
A Mishra not out 12
Extras 15
Total (two wickets; 45 overs) 190
Fall of wickets: 1-81 2-169
To bat: S Tendulkar, V Laxman, Y Singh, M Dhoni, H Singh, Z Khan, I Sharma
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Sri Lanka added 169 for the loss of two wickets on a record-breaking day when Mahela Jayawardene, who faced 435 balls and hit 27 fours and a six, became the ninth batsman to reach the 9,000-run mark in Test cricket.
Breaking records
The sixth-wicket stand between the two Jayawardenes upstaged a 72-year-old mark of 346 set by Australia's Don Bradman and Jack Fingleton against England in 1937.
The pair tormented a listless Indian attack in a productive first session before former skipper Mahela fell in the third over after lunch, bowled by Mishra when he gave the leg spinner the charge.
The tourists declared after Dammika Prasad (21) fell to off-spinner Harbhajan Singh after adding 34 with wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene, giving themselves 135 overs to push for a victory.
India took the third new ball at the overnight score without effect as Mahela Jayawardene, who recorded his sixth double hundred on Wednesday, toyed with the bowling.
Prasanna, 84 overnight, recorded his second Test century, and the fifth century of the match, when he guided pace bowler Ishant Sharma to the third man fence in what was another frustratingly unproductive session for India.
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