Australia’s Don Bradman tops the list with 12 double hundreds and West Indian Brian Lara is second with nine.

England’s Walter Hammond (7) and Pakistan’s Javed Miandad and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara and Marvan Atapattu (six each) were the other members of the select club.

The 32-year-old Jayawardene’s remarkable effort on the third day helped the visitors reach 591 for five at the close on day three in reply to India’s 426.

“After playing for so many years I have realised what my strengths and weaknesses are and how to manage my innings and how to build the innings,” Jayawardene told reporters after notching his second double hundred of the year.

“Once you get to a stage, you realise how to pace your innings and how to attack and how to play on different surfaces,” said the former captain whose test best is 374 against South Africa in 2006.

It was Jayawardene’s 27^th test century but the first on Indian soil.

Sri Lanka are ranked second behind South Africa in the official test rankings and are aiming to win their first test match on Indian soil since their first visit in 1982.

Jayawardene, who shared in a Sri Lanka record unbroken sixth wicket stand of 216 with wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene (84), has given the tourists a good chance to achieve that goal.

“When we came we had a very realistic plan of beating India with the team we had and with the way we have been playing test cricket in the last two three years,” he said.

“So it was one of our goals and the way everything was set up we were disappointed to let India get away after the excellent start we had on the first day,” he said reflecting on India’s recovery from 32 for four.

“We still knew the wicket was good and (Tillakaratne) Dilshan (112) batted superbly giving us the momentum.

“But the important thing was not to lose wickets as we have ample time. If we can build up a good lead we can create opportunities.”

Jayawardene, who notched up a second double hundred against India, rated this effort as one of his best.

“Given the situation and playing against India in India that’s high up in my effort. But the thing is I have only played three tests here and this is my fourth,” he said.

“I had a couple of fifties here in the last tour and I was disappointed and I was determined to get my first hundred here.”