PHOTOS, Day 3: Mendis hits ton as Sri Lanka stay alive in Colombo Test

• Scorecard

Images from Day 3 of the second Test between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo, on Saturday.

Kusal Mendis swept his way to a fine fighting century before Sri Lanka did well to claw their way back into the match and stay alive in the contest, ending Day 3 at 209 for 2 at stumps.

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne (92 batting) and night-watchman Malinda Pushpakumara (2 batting) were at the crease at close.

In a solid display of counter-attacking cricket, Sri Lanka scored 91 runs and lost 1 wicket in the last session of play.

The ignominy of the follow-on revived Sri Lanka's stomach for a fight on Saturday and the beleaguered hosts reached 118 for one at tea in their second knock after a meek first-innings surrender in the second Test against India.

Dimuth Karunaratne was batting on 55 and Kusal Mendis on 61 at the break with Sri Lanka, still 321 runs behind, facing an uphill task to save the match on a fast-crumbling track.

Upul Tharanga, who made a duck in the first innings, managed two in the second before falling to Umesh Yadav.

A rampant India subjected Sri Lanka to the ignominy of follow-on on Saturday after Ravichandran Ashwin claimed his 26th five-wicket haul to help rout the hosts for 183 in the second Test

Ashwin (5-69) and spin partner Ravindra Jadeja shared seven wickets as Sri Lanka, resuming on 50-2, collapsed on a day three pitch that allowed for prodigious spin, with the ball often kicking up puffs of dust.

Niroshan Dickwella top-scored with a desperate 51 as Sri Lanka lost their remaining eight wickets in an extended morning session to find themselves staring at a 439-run first-innings deficit and series loss with a match to spare.

India captain Virat Kohli understandably began the day with spin and was almost rewarded with immediate success.

Kusal Mendis guided Jadeja's fifth delivery tantalisingly close to Cheteshwar Pujara but the fielder was standing too close to grab the ball as it flew past him.

Kohli's field placement was right to a tee in Jadeja's third over when avid sweeper Dinesh Chandimal sent the spinner straight to Hardik Pandya, who had been stationed at square leg for exactly that shot.

Sri Lanka had wanted something special from their skipper but Chandimal, who missed the Galle series opener with pneumonia, had managed only 10.

Jadeja was denied a second success in that over when Kohli, replacing Pujara at gully, dropped Angelo Mathews with the former Sri Lanka skipper having yet to score.

Kohli soon made amends, running backwards to take a brilliant catch to send back Mendis, who had made 24 before Umesh Yadav induced the leading edge.

Mathews decided to hit his way out of the trouble and clobbered a couple of sixes off Jadeja but the ploy did not work for long.

With a breezy 26 on the board, he flicked at an Ashwin delivery and Pujara took a spectacular left-handed catch at leg gully.

Jadeja dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva for a golden duck and Mohammed Shami came up with a two-wicket over to leave the Sri Lankan innings in tatters.

Realising the futility of trying to hang around, Dickwella threw his bat at everything, hitting seven boundaries and a six before attempting an ugly scoop against Shami that deflected the ball onto his stumps.

Nuwan Pradeep came out to bat despite a hamstring injury which will rule him out of the remainder of the series and he faced six balls before falling for a duck to end the innings.