GALLE: Chris Gayle was out for a career-best 333, one of Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis' six wickets before West Indies declared on 580-9 after tea on the second day Tuesday of the first test.
Sri Lanka lost Tillakaratne Dilshan for a duck but recovered to 54-1 at the close. Captain Kumar Sangakkara struck seven boundaries in an unbeaten 33, while Tharanga Paranavitana was 10 not out.
Gayle hit 34 boundaries and a West Indies record nine sixes in 437 balls spanning nearly 11 hours before being bowled by Mendis, who finished with 6-169 from 59 overs. Offspinner Suraj Randiv picked up three wickets.
''I am smiling because I know the people of the West Indies are smiling,'' Gayle said. ''I am happy that by my batting I can bring happiness to the people and give them something to cheer about.
''People back home are following the cricket very closely and it is good that they can start the day with some good news. A lot of people have been sending me congrats and I want to thank them for their support, not just for me, but for the team as well.''
Gayle, stripped of the captaincy in an argument with the West Indies Cricket Board, fell short of Brian Lara's world record of 400 but joined his former teammate, Don Bradman and Virender Sehwag as the only players to score two triple-hundreds.
Gayle's first was 317 against South Africa in 2005. It was the first triple-century by a West Indies player away from home, the highest by any player against Sri Lanka, and the first triple hundred at Galle International Stadium.
''It was not easy. It was hard work out there but I enjoyed it,'' Gayle said. ''333 ... I'm very happy to achieve another major milestone. I want to say thanks to the guys who supported me and batted so well alongside me. At one stage the bat started to get quite heavy in my hand but the others were telling me just to carry on, stay out there, and get as many as I could.''
Gayle was involved in three century partnerships, 110 with opener Adrian Barath (50), 196 with Darren Bravo (58 on debut) and 167 with Brendan Nash (64).
But after Mendis trapped Nash lbw with the score on 559, the visitors lost six wickets for 21 runs. Gayle was more sedate on Tuesday, having hit eight sixes in a brutal attack on the first day. Nash praised the way Gayle paced his innings but said he was disappointed by the collapse.
''A bit disappointed by the last five wickets that we lost,'' Nash said. ''Mendis bowled very well, we had to look at him and work out a game plan against him with the wicket breaking up a little bit.''
Of the team's course on day three, Nash said: ''We need wickets early. I think we are on top at the moment. I think Sri Lanka is used to scoring big runs, we have a young bowling attack experience-wise.
''With this sort of wicket and with the batsmen that have to come, we have to really be on our game, stick to our game plan.''
Mendis said it was difficult bowling because the pitch was unhelpful.
''My plan was to stick to a good line and length because there was no turn,'' he said. ''We devised all our plans against him (Gayle) and it served well that he got out. He was the only threat.''
Mendis, who shoulders the responsibility left by offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who retired from tests, said he and Randiv tried their best to make up for his absence.
''His void is still felt,'' Mendis added. Gayle survived a scare off the first ball on Tuesday when Sangakkara referred an lbw appeal to the television umpire Asad Rauf, who turned it down.
Another drama unfolded in the second session when Gayle, on 287, was surprised by a rising delivery from seamer Dammika Prasad and fended it to short extra cover where Sangakkara took an easy catch.
But non-striker Nash convinced Gayle to refer the decision to the third umpire, who ruled the batsman not out because television replays showed the bowler had overstepped for a no-ball.
Gayle drove powerfully through long off for a boundary to reach his triple century and knelt on the pitch holding his bat and helmet high in celebration.
By then, West Indies had surpassed its previous highest total against Sri Lanka: 477-9 declared in St. Lucia in 2003.
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