Think of a man dying of thirst in the desert. Give him a jerry can of water and you could save his life. Present him with an entire tanker though and the chances are that - after first slaking his thirst - he will explore the commercial possibilities. Hashan Tillekeratne was that man. The jerry can was the last chance extended to him by Sri Lankan selectors who had banished him into the wilderness two years ago. The tanker came courtesy of an overly generous Indian team. Tillekeratne could be forgiven for considering himself blessed tonight. There is something about the Last Chance Saloon that makes the calmest of men desperate. That was certainly the case when Tillekeratne walked out to bat with the second day winding to a close. The words cat and hot tin roof could freely have been used to describe him. There was more than a hint of unease this morning as well. That was before the Indian bowling deteriorated from indifferent to poor.

Dealt the right cards, Tillekeratne gained in confidence as the morning wore on. By lunch, his footwork - leaden and clumsy at Kandy - was quick and decisive. The strokes, in cold storage for so long, started to emerge. He gave the spectators the full seven-course treatment - magnificent drives, cuts, pulls, deflections and even the occasional ungainly slog.

Since he made his debut at Hobart way back in 1989, he has always had more of Allan Border than David Gower in him - a determined batsman the team could rely on in moments of crisis. His finest knock came at the WACA in Perth in 1995. He smashed 119 runs against an attack that boasted McDermott, McGrath and Warne, even as Sri Lanka stumbled to an innings defeat. On a pitch where Asian batsmen usually look as assured as drunks on ice, his innings earned him a standing ovation.

This knock wasn't quite of the same vintage. Against this bowling attack, it didn't need to be. Thilan Samaraweera's sparkling century on debut ensured that the Sri Lankan selectors' enclosure was a cheery place to be. The man who came in from the desert and the new face have both done them proud. There is an air of inevitability about this Test match now and the Sri Lanka cake needs only the final layer of icing sugar. What price Murali obliging tomorrow?

Dileep Premachandran is assistant editor of Wisden.com in India.

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