Sri Lanka vs. India, 3rd Test, Day 3: Home Side Hang Tough After Conceding Lead
Having lost a great deal of the opening two days to rain, the third Test between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo moved on apace on the third day.
The visitors reached 312 all out, then had the home side 47-6 and seemingly in trouble in their first innings.
However, Sri Lanka recovered and reached 201, still behind by 111 but in a much-improved position from where they were.
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Then, the hosts came roaring back with the ball to leave India 21-3 at the close, ahead by 132 but having seen their top order largely disintegrate.
It was a day of high drama, and here are some takeaways from the play in Colombo.
Sri Lanka’s top order crumbles again
Having dismissed India for 312 early in the day, Sri Lanka would have wanted to make a good fist of their reply in the first innings, but they struggled initially.
Of their top six, only Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal made double figures, while the other batsmen could manage only eight runs between them.
All the top six were out to seam bowlers, with Ishant Sharma looking especially effective and backed up well by Stuart Binny and Umesh Yadav.
At 47-6, things looked terrible for the Sri Lankans, and got even worse as Dhammika Prasad was forced from the crease with what looked like a hand injury.
He returned and was the last man out, but it capped a terrible start for a home side desperate to get close to India’s total in the first innings.
Hosts bailed out by lower order
However, Sri Lanka did come back thanks to their lower order and tailenders, as the last four wickets put on a staggering 154 runs.
Kusal Perera led the way with 55, while Rangana Herath showed he still has something to offer with the bat as he made 49.
Prasad recovered from his hand ailment to make 27 from 23 balls, and Tharindu Kaushal even got in on the act with 16 of his own.
The terrible start by Sri Lanka’s batsmen meant that the efforts of their lower order did not really take them close to India’s first innings total, but they did well to recover.
The hosts’ final total of 201 was a vast recovery from 47-6, even if they still trailed by 111 runs.
India’s charge held back
India had a tricky session to negotiate with the bat at the end of the day, but with a lead of 111 even before they got started, they looked strong.
However, Sri Lanka’s bowlers kept up the momentum they gathered with the bat as they reduced the away side to 21-3 at the close, with their top three all gone.
First-innings centurion Cheteshwar Pujara went for a duck in the first over, bowled by Prasad, then Lokesh Rahul followed soon after as he was bowled by Nuwan Pradeep.
Ajinkya Rahane then completed a miserable match as Pradeep trapped him LBW for four, to leave India 7-3.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma led the recovery effort, but at stumps with the score on 21-3, Sri Lanka still have a fighting chance of winning.
They need to take quick wickets and still need their brittle batting lineup to impress, but the home side have kept themselves in the game.
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