India inch closer to 3-0 sweep, Sri Lanka struggle

India closed in on a clean sweep of the three-match series by reducing Sri Lanka to 82 for four in their second innings in the third and final Test here today.

At lunch on the third day, the hosts trailed by 270 runs with six wickets remaining.

Thanks to an unbroken 43-run partnership between Dinesh Chandimal (26) and Angelo Mathews (17), Sri Lanka managed to delay the inevitable.

Starting from overnight 19 for one, Mohammed Shami (2-20) bowled a fiery opening spell while Ravichandran Ashwin (1-33) removed opener Dimuth Karunaratne (16) at the other end. The ball took extra bounce and lobbed off his glove as the batsman was caught at slip in the third over of the morning.

Shami then had nightwatchman Malinda Pushpakumara (1) caught behind in the 21st over. Two overs later, he got the big dismissal as well, trapping Kusal Mendis (12) lbw with a sharp inswinger. The hosts lost 3 for 13 in the first passage of play this morning.

Thereafter, Sri Lanka crossed 50 in the 26th over, with Chandimal and Mathews holding fort together. The duo gave up on the attack-minded tactic against the Indian bowling, instead looking to play for time.

In the 35th over, Mathews survived a shout for caught behind off Umesh Yadav (0-23), even as India appealed for DRS against the original not out decision. But there was no evidence to over-turn the decision as Mathews continued his innings.

India lead the three-match series 2-0 after winning the first Test in Galle by 304 runs and the second Test in Colombo by an innings and 54 runs.

On day one of the final match, Shikhar Dhawan (119) and K L Rahul (85) put on the highest opening stand of 188 runs on Lankan soil as India finished at 329 for six at stumps.

Yesterday, Hardik Pandya scored his maiden Test hundred off 86 balls to help India reach 487 in their first innings. Sri Lanka then collapsed to 135 all out in their first innings with Kuldeep Yadav picking 4-40.