London, Jun 6: Sri Lanka were 372 for 3 thanks to Dilshan's 193 runs in reply to England's first innings score of 486 when rain stopped play at the Lord's on Sunday. Mahela Jayawardene at 40 and Samaraweera on 1 were at the crease.
A battered and bruised Tillekaratne Dilshan rewrote history by making the highest individual score for his country at the home of cricket here in Lord's, London on the second day of the second cricket Test against England.
It was the stuff that makes legends and Dilshan booked his place among them, an elite club that does not include the names of the top five run-makers in world cricket Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis who have never made a century at Lord's.
Dilshan may not have taken any pride in eclipsing the previous highest score by a Sri Lankan which stood at 190 made by Sidat Wettimuny in 1984, but it was a feat long overdue that will have his followers back at home groping for titles to match it.
If ever there was a record made with pain and pleasure, Dilshan experienced it all. Not that he needed scars and wounds, but when the six-foot eight-inch giant fast bowler Chris Tremlett hit him hard a second time on his aching right thumb, the Lord's crowd held their breath and Dilshan batted to tell his tale for a generation of Sri Lankans.
He may have seen a double hundred and it was sheer relief more than celebration for the England team which got one ball to crash into the stumps that was Dilshan's 253rd ball of the innings.
After seven hours, 20 fours and two sixes not a soul in the crowd was seated when Dilshan walked back to the pavilion after successfully seeking vengeance on a battery of bowlers who a few days ago humiliated his team in the first Test.
It was the best compliment the English crowd could have given Dilshan as they held no grudge against a man, a wounded warrior who turned their Ashes-winning bowlers of six months ago into a team of ceremonial kids.
Dilshan acknowledged and took every moment of his majestic walk back into the dressing room marking his most spectacular achievement in a 12-year career.They broke his bones but not his spirit.
