Dravid puts India in the driving seat

Rahul Dravid takes the applause on reaching another Test century as he batted India into a position of strength

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India continued to put the squeeze on Sri Lanka on day two of the second Test largely thanks to Rahul Dravid’s stoic 144 at Kanpur.

Dravid followed up the efforts of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, who scored 167 and 131 respectively on day one, with a sublime knock that was only ended thanks to a huge slice of luck for Rangana Herath.

Herath ended with 5-121, also deflecting VVS Laxman’s firm strike on to the stumps to have him run out for 144 on what was a fruitful day for the home side.

Sri Lanka, however, staged a mini fightback to dismiss India - 417 for two overnight - for 642 in the final session.

Fast bowler Zaheer Khan then gave the home side a superb start with the ball, removing the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan with the first delivery, but Sri Lanka recovered to reach 66 for one at stumps with Tharanga Paranavitana and Kumar Sangakkara unbeaten on 30.

Dilshan attempted to flick the first ball from Zaheer to fine leg, but the leading edge ballooned to Pragyan Ojha, making his Test debut, at mid-on.

But Sangakkara and Paranavitana battled hard against a strong attack from India as they finished the day with nine wickets intact.

India had begun the morning cautiously with Dravid and overnight partner Sachin Tendulkar carefully negotiating the bowlers in the first hour.

Dravid, resuming on 85 at the start of the day, was lucky to survive an inside-edge which flew perilously close to leg stump and away for a boundary, his first scoring shot of the day.

It was the only false stroke as the 36-year-old went from strength to strength and reached his century with a straight drive past fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara.

Dravid, who went past Allan Border's mark of 11,174 runs in Test cricket, fell just before lunch when Herath spilled a sharp chance from Laxman but diverted the ball on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Dravid out of his ground.

Sri Lanka's Rangana Herath is jubilant after totally beating Mahendra Singh Dhoni's defences on day two in Kanpur

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Tendulkar had departed inside the first hour this morning. Mendis should have had Tendulkar’s scalp earlier than he eventually did but watched disappointed as Dilshan grassed a chance at midwicket as the batsman attempted a lazy on-drive.

Tendulkar then hammered Mendis for a six but was snaffled for 40 as he attempted to hit one too many over the top, failing to clear Thilan Samaraweera at mid-off.

Laxman, who had added 47 for the fourth wicket with Dravid, was then joined by Yuvraj and the two hammered Sri Lanka’s bowlers around the park as they built another fruitful partnership.

Laxman reached his 41st Test half-century with a single off Muttiah Muralitharan and went on to add 102 for the fifth wicket with Yuvraj.

He fell while attempting to force the pace, stepping out to hit Herath over the top, but only picking out Dilshan at mid-off.

From 613 for four, India’s innings then unravelled with Herath taking centre stage.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh were bowled through the gate, both falling just before the tea interval.

Herath then returned from the break to snare Zaheer, caught at slip slogging by Mahela Jayawardene, and Sri Sreesanth, trapped in plumb in front on the front foot, in one over to wrap up India’s innings.

In between those dismissals, Yuvraj, who had reached his eighth half-century in Tests, was snaffled by Mendis, the batsman attempting a pull only to be caught by Sangakkara at midwicket.