Nishan Madushka and Kusal Mendis each made double centuries towards Eire Thursday as Sri Lanka’s prime 4 batters all hit lots of for under the third time in Check historical past.
The hosts declared their first innings on 704 for 3 after Tea on the fourth day of the second Check in Galle, 212 runs forward.
Eire had been 54 for 2 at stumps, needing an extra 158 on the ultimate day to keep away from a second straight innings defeat.
Eire may nonetheless obtain an historic first draw if they’ll dangle on after dropping all 5 of their video games since acquiring Check standing in 2017.
Madushka transformed his maiden Check century right into a double hundred, changing into the second-youngest Sri Lankan to attain a Check 200 after Mahela Jayawardene.
He was dismissed for 205 within the third over after lunch, lbw to Andy McBrine, with Eire efficiently reviewing the choice after the preliminary attraction was turned down.
Madushka’s marathon knock lasted six minutes wanting eight hours after he confronted 339 deliveries and hit 22 fours and a six.
Mendis, who had twice been dismissed within the 190s, reached his first Check 200 by pushing a Ben White supply behind sq. to steal a single.
He amassed 245 runs and was one wanting Wasim Akram’s world file of 12 sixes in a Check innings when he was caught at long-off making an attempt to equal that mark.
Angelo Mathews was dismissed for a duck within the first Check and was put down on one this match, however made probably the most of his reprieve to submit his sixteenth Check hundred.
That gave the hosts their quadruple-centurions entry within the historical past books, after India towards Bangladesh in 2007 and Pakistan towards Sri Lanka in 2019.
Captain Dimuth Karunaratne, who scored 115 on Wednesday, declared instantly.
Their monster whole of 704 for 3 was additionally the highest-ever rating in Galle, eclipsing Bangladesh’s 638 all out in 2013.
The pitch was nonetheless a batter’s paradise however Ramesh Mendis cleaned up James McCollum for 10 earlier than Jayasuriya had Peter Moor caught at quick additional cowl.
Andy Balbirnie and Harry Tector took Eire to stumps with out additional bother, with the captain on 12 not out and the Eire quantity 4 on seven.