After winning a dream toss on a wicket that turned out to be a batting paradise, the Indian ran up a huge 537 for 8 declared and had Sri Lanka on 39 for one.
LOT MORE CRICKET
However there is a lot more cricket left in this game. The Lankans will have to make it their business to survive the next three days. All that they need to do is to bat like the Indians did.
The Indians were in no undue hurry. They played the bowling on its merits,taking their own time and with the wicket not conducive to either pace or spin made a big score.
True the wicket may be conducive to the Indian spinners after the wear and tear of the first two days. But that should not worry the Lankan batsmen. They must remember that if a match cannot be won - in this instance they have no chance - then every endeavour must be made not to lose it.
What the Lankan batsmen must do is to cut out their natural instinct to bash the ball and concentrate on staying at the wicket, realising that they have three days to stick it out.
One hopes that when the game ends the Lankans would have come out of this Test unbowed.
AUSSIES DOMINATE
From the local cricket scene we move on to England where the Ashes Tests between the home country and Australia have turned the Aussie way after the early dominance of England in the three one_dayers and the First Test.
When the Aussies arrived in England the consensus allround was that the Aussies would thrash the Englishmen in the limited overs games as well as the Six Tests.
But the Englishmen after an encouraging series in New Zealand seemed to have put the worst behind them under new chairman of selectors David Graveney and the way they outplayed the Aussies early on the tour was unbelievable.
MAGNIFICENT
But the Aussies fought back magnificently and are now 2-1 up in the Six Match Test series with two to go. On form and if the weather stays good the kangaroos are expected to pocket the next Two Tests and retain the ashes.
But with the next Test beginning on Thursday, the Englishmen have made changes bringing in the Hollioake brothers Ben and Adam and Devon Malcolm. Whether they will play and how they will fare, the end of the Test will tell.
As for the Aussies, their one problem is the poor form of skipper Mark Taylor with the bat. But the skipper's failures are nullified as the other batsmen have rallied and taken them to match winning totals.
REIFFEL EXCELS
In the Kangaroo camp what has been most striking is the allround form of Paul Reiffel. Not in the original tour party but recalled, Reiffel has hit back at his detractors with fine performances with bat and ball. He has been one of the props in the two victories scored by the Aussies.
An interesting Test is on the cards beginning Thursday.