Dilshan living a dream this year

Tillakaratne Dilshan, with his 109 off 160 balls against India at Mumbai become the first batsman to register six hundreds in 2009.

By Rajesh Kumar

Four batsmen have hit four hundreds each this year - India's Gautam Gambhir, West Indian, Ramnaresh Sarwan, England's Andrew Strauss and Sri Lanka's Thilan Samaraweera.

Having made 112 at Ahmedabad, Dilshan became the first Sri Lankan to make two hundreds in separate Tests in India. The only other Sri Lankan batsman to register two hundreds in a Test series in India is Duleep Mendis - 105 and 105 at Chepauk in 1982-83.

Dilshan, during the course of his hundred, completed his 1,000 runs in 2009 - a feat accomplished by him for the first time in Tests. In terms of run-aggregate, Dilshan's previous best calendar year was 2005, amassing 678 at an average of 56.50, including one hundred and four fifties, in nine Tests.

Of the four batsmen with 1,000 runs or more this year, three are Sri Lankans - Thilan Samaraweera(1234), Mahela Jayawardene (1182), Dilshan (1081) and Andrew Strauss (1071).

Dilshan's third century against India is his 11th in Tests. He has scored six hundreds overseas and five in Sri Lanka.

Dilshan has registered four hundreds under Mahela Jayawardene's captaincy, three under Kumar Sangakkara, two under Hashan Tillakaratne and one each under Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu.

Dilshan's tally of six hundreds this year is exceeded only by Aravinda de Silva for Sri Lanka, who had posted seven in 1997.

Dilshan's strike rate of 83.15 is also the best amongst the batsmen with 500 runs or more this year - the next best being England's Matt Prior (75.61).