The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Colombo

Muttiah Muralitharan shattered India's star-studded top order Friday with four wickets to put Sri Lanka firmly in command of the first test.

India closed the third day's play at 159-6 in reply to the hosts' 600-6 declared - a score that included a Sri Lankan record-equaling four centuries.

India needs a further 241 runs to avoid the follow-on, with just four lower order wickets in hand.

"We did not play well tpoor shot-making today," India coach Gary Kirsten said. "Everyone has reasons to be disappointed and everyone has a lot of hard work to do to save this test match."

Muralitharan took four for 38, picking up the wickets of opener Gautam Gambhir (39), Sachin Tendulkar (27), Sourav Ganguly (23) and Dinesh Karthik (9).

Opener Virender Sehwag (25) was the first man out after a typically hard-hitting innings that had one too many aggressive shots, caught at deep square leg off seamer Nuwan Kulasekara. India went to tea at a decent 72-1, but five wickets fell in the final session to put the tourists in trouble.

The collapse began soon after tea with Gambhir driving in the air against Muralitharan to be caught at short mid-wicket by Thilan Samaraweera.

Spinner Ajantha Mendis, on test debut, bowled Rahul Dravid for 14 after the ball pitched on leg stump and turned to brush off stump.

Tendulkar, who came to the crease needing 172 runs to take the world record for most test runs from former West Indies captain Brian Lara, misread a straight ball from Muralitharan and was bowled off an inside edge.

Ganguly tried to hit Muralitharan across the line, but top-edged his sweep and was caught in the deep by Nuwan Kulasekara.

At stumps, V.V.S Laxman was on 19 with captain Anil Kumble on 1. "We are aware of the way we played. Out of the six wickets, four of them were not the greatest of shots," Kirsten said.

Earlier, Tillakaratne Dilshan made the most of his reprieve under cricket's new laws to hit an unbeaten 125 and became the fourth batsman to score a century in Sri Lanka's innings - equaling the national test record.

Dilshan was on 1 Thursday when he became the world's first batsman to benefit from cricket's new experimental law that allows a player to challenge an umpiring decision.

He was initially given out caught behind, but after challenging that decision it was referred to the third umpire, who ruled there was no contact between bat and ball.

"I have played well during the past six months, but missed out on a couple of centuries," Dilshan said.

Dilshan's performances had been under scrutiny, and he said he was aware that he could be replaced.

"Now, I have proved that I can play well at No.6," Dilshan said.

Captain Mahela Jayawardene (136), Malinda Warnapura (115) and Samaraweera (127) also scored centuries.

Sri Lanka had twice before had four centurions in an innings, both at Colombo: against India in 2001 and Bangladesh in 2007.

The overall test record is five, set by Australia against West Indies at Kingston in 1955 and by Pakistan against Bangladesh at Multan in 2001.

Under the new trial laws, being debuted in this test, each side is allowed three challenges to umpiring decisions per innings, with that number remaining intact if a challenge is upheld.