Home comforts please captain

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene says his team need to put pressure on a resurgent India in the crucial third and final Test today as they bid to maintain their impressive home record.

Sri Lanka have lost just one of their last seven home Test series since August 2004, the lone defeat coming against Pakistan two years ago.

The series is tied at 1-1, with Sri Lanka winning the opening Test by an innings and 239 runs in Colombo and India coming back strongly to clinch a 170-run victory in the second match in Galle.

Jayawardene said his bowlers would look to keep the pressure on the India's middle-order, who have yet to fire in the series.

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir played key roles in India's win, adding 167 for the opening wicket in the first innings and 90 in the second. Sehwag scored an unbeaten 201 and 50.

"Sehwag batted really well and took his chances in Galle. India are getting some good starts and that is something we will think about," said Jayawardene. "If we get early breakthroughs we can manage to keep the rest of their batsmen pretty quiet. If we keep that pressure on the top of the order we have a very good chance."

He praised his spinners for keeping India's formidable middle-order batsmen under control in series. Unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis has grabbed 18 wickets and Muttiah Muralitharan 16.

"The credit should go to our bowlers as we kept a lot of pressure on [the middle-order batsmen].

"They had starts, but we still managed to get those wickets," said Jayawardene.

"The thought of losing a home series has not gone through our minds."

India have clinched just one Test series after being

1-0 down in the past seven years, but captain Anil Kumble said his team was determined to do it again.

"In terms of confidence and strategy, we have done whatever we can to ensure we win the Test and series. That is the bottom line," he said. "We did that against Australia at home in 2001 after being 1-0 down."