India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka 165/4 before bad light forces early stumps at Eden Gardens

India, after struggling to pick a wicket for some time, hit back with Umesh Yadav’s lively spell in the final session.

India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test Day 3: As it happened in Kolkata. The play has been officially called off due to bad light at the Eden Gardens. Sri Lanka managed to survive what was a lively spell of pace bowling by India in the third session of the day’s play. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav picked two wickets each for India and Dickwella, Chandimal are the two men out in the middle for the visitors.

1550 hrs IST: It has been all pace by India so far. Ashwin has only bowled four overs and we are yet to see Jadeja roll his arm over. Shami and Bhuvi are doing a fine job so far and Sri Lanka are just managing to avoid any wickets here

1537 hrs IST: Chandimal living dangerously in the middle. He continue to flirt with deliveries outside the off-stump and is lucky to be still there. He is struggling at 2 off 20

1530 hrs IST: Umesh bangs one in short again, Dickwella goes for the pull but fails to make good connection. The fielders go up for caught-behind and umpire raises his finger without any hesitation. The left-hander goes for the DRS and extends his stay in the middle. This is a testing period for the visitors

1524 hrs IST: Two wickets in 10 balls for India. Umesh invites Mathews into a drive and hands an easy take to KL Rahul. Sri Lanka are now 138/4

1512 hrs IST: GONE! A few deliveries back, Mathews survived by finding vacant third slip. Now Thirimanne edges to Kohli and he is safe pair of hands. Throws the ball away in frustration. Could have been gone for 27 runs but now he goes for 51 runs

1455 hrs IST: FIFTY! Thirimanne brings up his fifty with a single. Good knock by him despite the onslaught by the seamers on occasions. Could have been back in the pavillion on 27 but for Dhawan dropping his wicket…

1445 hrs IST: Right! Final sesion set to get underway. Might be curtailed by bad light but much better than the 32 overs in two days over Thursday and Friday. On to Thirimanne and Mathews with the bat and Shami with Umesh on the ball.

TEA! Bhuvi had scampered off early for a tea break. Fair enough – he has had to bowl 12 intense overs this session. Umesh bowls the final over before Tea and 1 run from it. Sri Lanka are 113/2 after 31 overs.

1408 hrs IST: Thirimanne and Mathews in complete control now for Sri Lanka while weathering some incredible bowling from India seamers. Little to offer for the spinners. But Bhuvi getting the ball to move back in and causing trouble. Unfortunately, though, he is not being rewarded with a wicket for it

1331 hrs IST: DROPPED! Shikhar Dhawan drops a sitter at first slip. Regulation catch for Shikhar at first slip as Umesh forces an edge from Thirimanne but the chance goes begging. It was comfortable height and at decent pace – came into his hands and it goes begging.

1315 hrs IST: Drinks at Eden Gardens with Sri Lanka 56/2. Properly warm now and believe both teams will be happy with the first hour of second session. India had the early momentum but Sri Lanka have clawed back. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has found his rhythm and causing problems for the visitors on the off occasion. The surface not as conducive for the bowlers as the one Sri Lanka received.

1245 hrs IST: Angelo Mathews survives the review. Bhuvneshwar Kumar hits the front pad after Mathews fails to read the line properly. But the ball was bouncing a touch too much and only hitting the top of the stumps for the umpire’s call – which was not out.

1234 hrs IST: Bhuvneshwar Kumar strikes once again! Breezy inning by Samarawickrama comes to an end. Offers a shot quite a distance away from his body and gets a thick edge behind to Saha. Comfortable take for the India keeper. Case of one shot too many?

1224 hrs IST: Karunaratne given OUT LBW and he’s reviewed once again! This time it is Bhuvaneshwar Kumar who has struck. No shot offered, the ball was going on to hit the off stump and umpire asked to stick to his decision. He goes for 8 and Sri Lanka are 29/1

1218 hrs IST: Big appeal for LBW by Shami and the entire team and it is given by the umpire. But Karunaratne immediately goes for a review. The Hawkeye shows the ball was going over the stumps. Difference in emotions as Kohli looks annoyed and Chandimal smiles

1205 hrs IST: We’re back after lunch. Samarawickrama and Karunaratne are at the crease. Samarawickrama is on strike. Bhuvneshwar has the ball

1130 hrs IST: With that, lunch has been taken. Sri Lanka will resume their inning in the second session. Play to resume at 12.05 PM IST.

1125 hrs IST: India are bowled out for 172 runs. Shami the last wicket to fall. Gamage persists with the short ball and Shami’s attempts of going over the field end. Gets the pull shot on the short ball but it isn’t connected properly. Shanaka runs in from deep mid-wicket to take a comfortable catch.

1117 hrs IST: Both Shami and Umesh going for cracking shots now to add as many runs as possible on the board. Number 10 and Number 11 forcing the visitors to contemplate their strategy. Now an appeal for caught behind on Umesh. Clearly hitting the thigh pad and Dickwella looks convinced while Lakmal isn’t. And it is not out after the review. No more reviews left for Sri Lanka

1111 hrs IST: Last time India were dismissed for under 150 at Eden Gardens was back in 1996. Won’t be a repeat this time around, though. Umesh and Shami picking up the singles, doubles and getting some luck with a boundary too

1105 hrs IST: GONE! Lakmal gets his fourth and Bhuvneshwar Kumar goes for 13. Good wicket that. Bhuvi has been in good form lately but Lakmal prevents any big damage. Gets the ball to shape away and eke out a thin edge. Simple take for Dickwella behind. India are 146/9

1103 hrs IST: Shami goes for a slog shot, gets a thick leading edge but luckily for him, it lands safely and in between two fielders. He was nowhere near the pitch of the ball.

1052 hrs IST: Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami in the middle now for India.

1046 hrs IST: Wriddhiman Saha is adjudged out now but he immediately goes for a review. Appeal for a catch and Sri Lankan fielders look half convinced by the reactions. Tries to sweep and gets a thin part of the bat, then the arm to loop up for a simple catch for first slip. Perera has two wickets in four balls

1040 hrs IST: Tossed up outside off by Dilruwan Perera and it has hit Jadeja on the front pad. Hit on the knee roll. Perera looks convinced. Sri Lanka have reviewed. It has hit the pad first and UltraEdge confirms it. It is pitching outside off, hitting in line and going on to hit the stumps. Asked to reverse the decision. Jadeja walks for 22 from 37 balls and he looks absolutely gutted

1033 hrs IST: WOW! Dickwella misses an easy stumping. Saha comes darting down the track to Dilruwan and misses the overpitched delivery completey. And Dickwella makes a complete hash of it. Fails to hold on and Saha is quick to get back in before the Lanka keeper could recover. Poor keeping!

1015 hrs IST: As fluffy ccrowds come back in and the sun gets brighter, Wriddhiman Saha and Ravindra Jadeja have held fort rather comfortably. And just as I say that, Jadeja goes after Dilruwan Perera. It was there in his hitting zone and it is dispatched for a comfortable six.

0948 hrs IST: Sri Lanka review an LBW call on Wriddhiman Saha. It has hit the flap on the back leg, there is no bat involved. But it is missing by some distance. Sri Lanka lose their review

0935 hrs IST: Ravindra Jadeja is the new man in for India.

0933 hrs IST: GONE! Big sound of timber followed a massive roar as Gamage gets Pujara for 52 from 117 balls. Pujara leaned forward to defend but Gamage finds the gap between bat and pad as the ball jags back to disturb the stumps. Indian camp looks shocked!

0917 hrs IST: Rangana Herath gets the ball. FIFTY! First boundary of the day and it brings up 16th half century for Pujara. 52 from 108 balls and 10 boundries. What a remarkable knock this has been

0912 hrs IST: The two teams come out for the third day’s play. Cheteshwar Pujara on strike and Wriddhiman Saha on the other end. Lahiru Gamage to finish his over with a delivery left. Also, Happy Birthday Dinesh Chandimal and Nic Pothas! A single to start the day’s play.

0910 hrs IST: On Friday it was Matthew Hayden ringing the bell and this morning it is recently retired Ashish Nehra.

0905 hrs IST: Pitch report before Day 3: Sunil Gavaskar and Simon Doull with the pitch status: “There’s plenty of grasss for the bowlers but they need to get their length right to capitalise on things. The batsman will have to get forward to negate the swing. When India get their turn, expect their bowlers to do very well today.”

0830 hrs IST: Hello and Good morning to our live coverage of the India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test here on Day 3 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The two teams, at this stage, are in a rather odd position. Its a rarity for India in the recent past to lose half the side so quickly and for Sri Lanka to have their seamers cause havoc. Cheteshwar Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha are in the middle – the former absolutely solid while the latter looking jittery on occasion. Maybe this is the best practice India need for the South Africa tour ahead? Provided the rain stays away – of course.