India finished the second day of the Third Test in Mumbai after accumulating an impressive 443 for one in reply to Sri Lanka's first-innings score of 393.
The Indian reply was driven by the aggressive batting of Virender Sehwag who scored 284 not out as he attempted to become the first batsman ever to score more than two Test triple centuries.
Sri Lanka, needing victory to draw the series, steadily lost ground as Sehwag hammered a pedestrian-looking attack around the park, scoring his sixth double century and the game's third highest individual score in one day's play.
Sehwag shared an opening stand of 221 runs with his fellow opener Murali Vijay, who was eventually out lbw for 87 after choosing the wrong ball to sweep from the bowling of Rangana Herath. Then, alongside Rahul Dravid (62 not out), Sehwag took the lead in a partnership of 172 as he plundered 47 boundaries, including seven sixes in his 239-delivery innings.
Sehwag passed 6,000 Test runs with his 17th century and could now pass the record he shares for triple centuries with Don Bradman and Brian Lara. On a pitch offering bounce but little deviation, Sehwag tore in the Sri Lankan bowling as even the spinner Muttiah Muralitharan struggled to find any penetration.
Earlier, the Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews fell just one run short of his maiden Test century when he was run out. He pulled a short ball to deep square leg, and tried a second run in his eagerness to complete the hundred, but failed to beat Sachin Tendulkar's accurate throw to the wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Mathews hit 15 boundaries off 131 deliveries.
Resuming on the overnight score of 366 for 8, Sri Lanka added 27 runs for the loss of their remaining two wickets. The visitors' innings folded soon after the departure of Mathews, as the last man Chanaka Welegedara (eight) fell lbw to Pragyan Ojha (three for 101).
Sri Lanka's total – achieved with considerable labour – was expected to test the home side, but Sehwag and Vijay quickly rendered the advantage ineffective with an almost effortless display. Vijay, playing in only his second Test in the absence of the regular opener Gautam Gambhir, who has missed this match to attend a wedding, had calmed his nerves with a sensible, yet punishing approach. He reached his maiden Test fifty by stepping out and hitting Muralitharan for a towering six over long on and continued to accumulate runs easily, leaving the Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara struggling for the breakthrough.
When it came, thanks to Vijay's lbw, there was no respite for Sri Lanka as Dravid continued from where Vijay left off. He hit Muralitharan for consecutive boundaries on either side of the wicket early in his innings and provided admirable support for Sehwag as India steadily closed in on Sri Lanka's total.
It was Sehwag who ferociously launched into the attack once he had adjusted to the conditions, though. He cut and drove with power and precision and was particularly harsh on the spinners, ensuring they never found their groove.
He reached his century off 101 deliveries by sweeping Muralitharan for four, but his second 100 was achieved in even more blistering fashion, coming off just 67 deliveries.
Sehwag, hampered with a back injury suffered just before the tea interval, hit Kulasekara for three consecutive boundaries to reach 196, went to 198 with two runs through the covers and reached his sixth double century with another boundary in the over.
Sri Lanka's already deficient attack suffered another blow as their left-arm fast bowler Welegedara pulled up short with an injury while running in for a fresh spell in the final session. Sehwag reached the 250-run mark with a reverse-swept boundary off Muralitharan, passing the milestone off 207 deliveries.
It took India less than three sessions to overhaul Sri Lanka's total, scoring more than 400 runs in a day for the second time in as many Tests.
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