Sri Lanka are looking to cross the 400-run mark on Thursday which should be good enough on a track that has decent pace and bounce in it, star opener and century-maker Tillakaratne Dilshan said in Mumbai on Wednesday .
Dilshan's fluent 109 was the highlight of day one of the third and final India-Sri Lanka Test and the visitors rode on his century and Angelo Mathews's unbeaten 86 to reach 366 for eight at stumps.
"Angelo Mathews is still there and Muttiah Muralitharan can make 20-30 runs. If we can make 400, it would be a good total as there's pace and bounce on the wicket," said Dilshan.
"The ball was turning from the first session but it's a good Test wicket as there's something for both batsmen and bowlers in it. It has not eased out yet, there's still a lot of turn and bounce," he said.
Already Muralitharan had started licking his lips in anticipation of a successful outing with the ball, he said.
"In the dressing room we could see him enjoying the bounce and turn (the wicket offered)," he said.
Dilshan was unlucky to be given out by umpire Nigel Llong when Murali Vijay caught him off Harbhajan Singh even though the ball came off his pads.
The 33-year-old dashing opener said had the Umpire Review Decision System been there, the decision would have been overruled.
"If the referral system was there, I would still be batting. I wanted to bat all day and put pressure on India but unluckily I got out at a crucial time," Dilshan rued adding, "If you have been given a decision you have to walk."
Dilshan rated this hundred above the stroke-filled 112 he scored in the first innings of the Ahmedabad Test, saying the Motera Stadium track was a batting beauty and this was not.
"This is a better hundred and this wicket is challenging to play than the flat Ahmedabad wicket. I had to leave out a few balls here as the Indian bowlers bowled well in the beginning," he explained after notching his 11th ton in 60 Tests.
"When (Tharanga) Paranavitana was on 30 I was on five. After one hour it became a little easy (for me)," he said.
Dilshan also had a word of praise for Mathews' unbeaten knock.
"It's great to see Angelo batting. He took the opportunity when (Mahela) Jayawardene and (Kumar) Sangakkara got out. He's a great prospect for Sri Lanka," he said.
He said the decision to play him as opener was made by Jayawardene, the previous Lanka captain who was replaced by Sangakkara, and the selectors as it lent better balance to the team.
"The captain and selectors took that decision for lending balance to the team as Angelo Mathews can play at no six as an all-rounder," he said. PTI
