India managed to take a 132-run lead against Sri Lanka after a dramatic third day’s play on Sunday in the third and final Test match at SSC grounds.
The Indian top-order was rattled by the Lankan seamers after they took a 111-run lead courtesy a five-wicket haul by Ishant Sharma.
Debutant, Kusal Janith Perera and Rangana Herath counter-attacked in their 79-run stand which helped the visitors recover from 48 for 6 to 201.
Chesteshwar Pujara got the ball of the series by Dhammika Prasad as he was bowled for a duck in the second ball of the second innings. The ball squared up Pujara completely to hit the top off middle stump.
KL Rahul was bowled by Nuwan Pradeep in the 4th over. The dismissal was a carbon copy of the first-innings, the ball pitching outside off, seams into the stumps and Rahul leaves without covering the line.
Ajinkya Rahane was caught in the crease by Pradeep and hit right in front as India was restricted to 7 for 3 in the 6th over.
Heavy showers stopped play at 4.40pm after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli survived a tense period.
After posting 312 in their first innings, Indian seamers made early inroads as they cropped out the new opening pair of Upul Tharanga and Kaushal Silva.
Tharanga (4) was given a life in the first over itself when he was dropped by KL Rahul at second slip off Sharma but the fielder got his redemption when he took a clean catch in the 5th over off the same bowler to dismiss the Lankan opener.
Silva (3) was bowled by Umesh Yadav in the next over. The diminutive opener shouldered his arms and the ball deviated off the bat to hit the stumps.
Dinesh Chandimal was promoted bat at number 4 and he started off positively stroking few elegant boundaries but he was undone for 23 by the late swing of Stuart Binny.
Sharma once again struck when he got the prized scalp of Angelo Mathews (1). The Lankan skipper poked at a good length delivery and was caught behind by Naman Ojha.
One drop batsman, Dimuth Karunarathne was the last to go before lunch when he was caught at slips off Binny. He tried to drive a wide delivery through the covers but ended up only edging it to KL Rahul.
The second ball after lunch, Lahiru Thirimanne pushed outside his body and was caught at second slip for no score.
Kusal played one of his characteristic knocks with slams through the mid-wicket, reverse-sweeps and ballistic cut shots to notch up his maiden half-ton.
He raced to fifty in 49 balls before he was caught at mid-off by Virat Kohli off Sharma when the wicket-keeper tried to hammer it over long-on but ended up only top-edging the ball. Despite being dropped at 9 by KL Rahul, Kusal’s entertaining knock of 55 in 56 balls had 9 fours.
Tharindu Kaushal succumbed for 16 due to poor umpiring as he was given LBW off Amit Mishra though the replays clearly showed an inside edge.
Herath and Prasad continued to cut down the deficit with resolute knocks but Herath fell one-run short of a well-deserved half-century as Naman Ojha took a brilliant diving catch to give Ishant Sharma his 7th five-wicket haul. After being hit, Prasad returned to bat and made a vital 27 before he was stumped off Amit Mishra.
Earlier in the first session, Sri Lanka quickly dismantled the Indian tail inside the first five-overs. The visitors added 20 runs to their overnight score before Rangana Herath dismissed Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav to end his spell with 3 wickets.
Opener Cheteshwar Pujara became the 4th Indian batsman to carry his bat when he remained unbeaten on 145. This was the 49th instance of a batsman carrying his bat through a Test innings.
India – 312 all out in 100.1 overs: Cheteshwar Pujara 145*, Rohit Sharma 26, Naman Ojha 21, Amit Mishra 59, Dhammika Prasad 4/100, Rangana Herath 3/84.
Sri Lanka – 201 all out in 52.2 overs: Kusal Janith Perera 55, Rangana Herath 49, Dhammika Prasad 27, Dinesh Chandimal 23, Stuart Binny 2/24, Ishant Sharma 5/54, Amit Mishra 2/25.
India (2nd inn) – 21/3 in 8.1 overs: Rohit Sharma 11*, Nuwan Pradeep 2/6.
