Murali, Mendis put India in spin

Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis shared nine wickets in the first innings to put Sri Lanka in a winning position on the fourth day of the opening Test against India here on Saturday.

Off-spinner Muralitharan finished with 5-84 -- his 64th haul of five or more wickets in a Test innings -- as Sri Lanka dismissed India for 223 in the first innings after posting a mammoth 600-6 declared.

Debutant spinner Mendis also applied pressure from the other end of the crease with his shrewd variations, finishing with 4-74 to help his side enforce the follow-on.

India lost Virender Sehwag early in their second innings before reaching 25-1 at lunch. Gautam Gambhir was unbeaten on 12 at the break.

Sehwag (13) was initially given not out by umpire Mark Benson of England following a leg-before appeal off Muralitharan.

But Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene requested the official to review the decision under the experimental rule. Benson consulted TV umpire Rudi Koertzen of South Africa before changing his decision.

Earlier, Venkatsai Laxman was the lone Indian batsman to keep the Sri Lankan spin duo at bay, making a solid 56 for his 34th Test half-century. He was the last man out, failing to read a Mendis googly.

Laxman had only tail-enders to give him company after India lost six wickets for a meagre 159 on Friday. But only last-man Ishant Sharma stayed with him for more than an hour in the morning session.

Sharma faced 54 balls for his unbeaten 13 after the fall of skipper Anil Kumble (one), Harbhajan Singh (nine) and Zaheer Khan (five) in the space of 18 runs. He helped Laxman add 35 for the last wicket.

India lost their first wicket in the fourth over when Kumble was adjudged leg-before off Mendis by umpire Billy Doctrove of the West Indies.

Kumble asked the official to review the decision, but Doctrove was proved right after consulting the TV umpire.

Muralitharan, who took four wickets on Friday, added one more to his tally when he had Harbhajan caught by Malinda Warnapura at short-leg. Mendis then trapped Zaheer leg-before before dismissing Laxman.