A dejected V.V.S Laxman at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Thursday. (AP)

Colombo: Sri Lanka got the better of both India and the new referral system on Thursday to take a firm grip on the opening Test after two days.

The home side took advantage of a batting paradise and India’s catching lapses to reach a commanding 422 for four at stumps, with three of their batsmen scoring centuries.

Captain Mahela Jayawardene (136), Malinda Warnapura (115) and Thilan Samaraweera (111 not out) dominated the second day after Sri Lanka lost two early wickets on a rain-shortened first day.

Apart from dominating the visitors, Sri Lanka benefited from the first use of cricket’s new laws, which allow teams to challenge the decision of on-field umpires by referring them to the third umpire.

Tillekeratne Dilshan entered the record books as the first player to successfully overturn a decision with such a challenge. He was initially given out by umpire Mark Benson, adjudged caught behind off a Zaheer Khan delivery. Dilshan made a ‘T’ signal with his hands to indicate a challenge, and third umpire Rudi Koertzen reviewed replays and ruled Dilshan not out.

Replays suggested his bat hit the ground rather than the ball to create the sound that prompted the India appeal. Dishan was on one at the time of the decision, and finished the day on 20 not out.

Earlier, during the morning session, India captain Anil Kumble unsuccessfully made the first-ever challenge when the umpire turned down an appeal for lbw against Warnapura. Koertzen upheld the on-field umpire’s decision, adjudging that the ball would have missed leg stump.

India later made a second unsuccessful challenge for an lbw decision against Dilshan, as the third umpire ruled him not out because the ball pitched outside leg stump. Each team are allowed three challenges per innings, with that number remaining intact if a challenge is upheld.

Resuming the second day at 85/2, Jayawardene and Warnapura made India’s bowlers toil through the first session without success, adding 155 runs for the third wicket. Warnapura made his second Test century before being dismissed in the second over after lunch caught by Rahul Dravid off Harbhajan Singh.

Jayawardene rode his luck — he was twice dropped by India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik — in recording his 23rd Test hundred and adding 148 runs with Samaraweera.

(Agencies)