Photos from Day 3 of the third Test played between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo on Sunday
Sri Lanka bowled a fiery spell, picking three quick wickets to put India in a spot at 21 for 3 after Ishant Sharma claimed his seventh five-wicket haul to help India bundle out Sri Lanka for 201 on Day 3 of the third Test in Colombo on Sunday.
Rain brought an early end to the day’s play with the tourists having an overall lead of 132 runs. Captain Virat Kohli (one) and Rohit Sharma (14) were at the crease at stumps.
First-innings centurion Cheteshwar Pujara was bowled for a duck by the second ball of the innings from Dhammika Prasad and Lokesh Rahul was again out shouldering arms, this time to Nuwan Pradeep.
Pradeep also dismissed Ajinkya Rahane to leave India tottering at seven for three.
But the day clearly belonged to India pacer Ishant, who was at his best. The lanky paceman was the pick of the Indian bowlers claiming a five-wicket haul (5 for 54) and putting India in the drivers’ seat.
Sri Lanka’s lower order batsman fought back in the third session to save face.
Rangana Herath (49) and Dhammika Prasad (27) did do some damage control for the Lankans scoring at a high pace, doing well to reduce the team’s deficit and saving the ignominy of a follow-on.
Earlier, Ishant helped India reduce the hosts to 175 for eight at tea on the third day.
The 26-year-old Ishant had Lahiru Thirimanne caught for a duck by Rahul immediately after the lunch break, reducing Sri Lanka to 47-6 and in danger of following on.
But Rahul then dropped his second catch of the day, putting down a regulation take from debutant wicketkeeper Kusal Perera on nine off Yadav.
Perera (55) made full use of the reprieve to complete his maiden half-century, studded with nine fours. The diminutive left-hander became Ishant's fourth victim but not until he had taken his team past the follow-on mark with Herath.
Tharindu Kaushal (16) became the only wicket to fall to a spinner when he was given out lbw against leg-spinner Amit Mishra although replays suggested he may have found an inside edge.
In the morning session, seamers Ishant and Stuart Binny took two wickets apiece to put India in control of the third and final Test against Sri Lanka by reducing the hosts to 47 for five at lunch on Day 3 on Sunday.
Bowling an impeccable line and length after their batsmen gave them a first innings total of 312, the Indian pacemen put the visitors in the driving seat for a series-clinching win in the series tied at 1-1.
Ishant struck the first blow by dismissing Upul Tharanga (four) caught at second slip by Lokesh Rahul, who had earlier dropped the same batsman on zero in the first over of Sri Lanka's innings.
Tharanga, who replaced the retired Kumar Sangakkara in the side for the match, could consider himself unlucky with replays showing the delivery was perilously close to be called a no ball but the television umpire ruled Ishant's delivery legal.
Fellow opener Kaushal Silva (three) was late to take his bat away from a sharp and rising delivery from Umesh Yadav and got an inside edge crashing onto his stumps.
Dinesh Chandimal (23) launched a counter attack, hitting five fours in his 27-ball knock, but was given out lbw to Binny with replays indicating the ball was a bit high and could have gone over the stumps.
Ishant returned for his second spell to get Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews (one) edging behind on his first ball for debutant Indian wicketkeeper Naman Ojha to complete his first Test dismissal.
Binny then had number three batsman Dimuth Karunaratne (11) caught by Rahul at second slip with the final delivery before the break to send half the Sri Lankan batting line-up back to the dressing room.
Earlier, India added 20 runs to their overnight score of 292-8 to complete a solid first innings.
Cheteshwar Pujara, forced to bat at the top due to injuries to regular openers, carried his bat through to remain unbeaten on 145 for the visitors.
Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath bowled out tail-enders Ishant and Yadav to finish with three wickets in the innings.
Paceman Dhammika Prasad was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers with figures of 4-100.
