GALLE, Sri Lanka (Reuters)
Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara, twice dismissed in the 90s in Test cricket, has overcome his nerves to score his maiden Test hundred. Sangakkara, who was on 93 when last man Muttiah Muralitharan came in, hit 105 not out in the first Test against India as his team moved to the brink of victory.

"I actually was a bit nervous. I was running out of partners as well and I had to decide how I was going to play, how to rotate the strike," Sangakkara said.

Sangakkara was struggling for runs coming into the Test but vindicated the faith shown in his selection ahead of experienced Romesh Kaluwitharana. "I feel quite good because I haven't been in the runs for sometime now. It's a great feeling to contribute to the team," Sangakkarasaid.

Sangakkara, who was dismissed for 98 in South Africa and for 95 against England in Sri Lanka's last two Test series, this time looked certain to be stranded in the 90s. But he said: "When Murali came in to bat, he just said we will take it as it comes and see what can be done."

The wicketkeeper-batsman has been on the field for over 17 hours in the game, absent only for two hours during a 105-run opening stand between skipper Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu on the second day. He said paceman Venkatesh Prasad bowled well with the old ball to pile on the pressure when he was approaching his century but said a few bad balls sent down by the Indians helped his cause.

He said Sri Lanka's batsmen handled offspinner Harbhajan Singh well, the bowler taking only one wicket from 33 overs. "He (Harbhajan) is a very good bowler and he was bowling well. But we handled him pretty well and we are confident we can handle him in the rest of the series."

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd