Despite resilient performance with the bat from Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews, India were still on top at the end of Day 3 in the third and final Test of the series at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in Delhi. India are still ahead by 180 runs and they have only one wicket left to take. It's good to see the visitors not giving up so easily, but to expect them to win a Test from here would be futile. Captain Chandimal, who batted the whole day scoring 147 off 341 balls with 18 boundaries and a six, is unbeaten and will look to reduce India's lead as much as possible. (Live Scorecard)
The Indian bowling attack was rewarded for its perseverance on a lifeless track as the hosts reduced Sri Lanka to 356 for nine after defiant hundreds from Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal in the final Test on Monday. Ravichandran Ashwin (3/90 in 35 overs), who has been Virat Kohli's 'Go To Man' in home conditions, got quick breakthroughs in the final session as the tourists ended the third day's play of the third Test 180 runs behind. Ashwin's victims included Mathews (111), Roshen Silva (0) and Niroshan Dickwella (0), as India wrested back the advantage from the islanders, who frustrated the bowlers in the first two sessions. The other highlight for India was Wriddhiman Saha asserting himself as the best wicketkeeper in world cricket with stunning catches off Ishant Sharma (2/93 in 27 overs) and Mohammed Shami's (2/74 in 23 overs) bowling.
Catch the live action and updates of India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd Test, Day 4, straight from Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi.
10:29 IST: This time Lakmal gets it to move away. Rahane feeling for that one. Luckily it missed the edge.
10:25 IST: Lakmal gets it to move back into the right handed Rahane. Rapped on the pads and a huge shout for leg before. The umpire raises the finger and Rahane goes for the review. Replays suggest that the ball was missing leg. Also a touch too high to be given out.
10:21 IST: India 12 for 1 after 4 overs.
10:17 IST: Rahane gets off the mark with a single.
10:16 IST: Ajinkya Rahane is the new man in for India. No Chesteshwar Pujara at No 3. Clearly the Indians are looking for quick runs.
10:15 IST: Wicket: Vijay playing away from his body to a ball that just moved away a bit, gets a thin edge and the keeper makes no mistake. Lakmal strikes for Sri Lanka. India lose their first wicket with the score on 10. Vijay gone for 9.
10:11 IST: Gamage gets it to move back into the right-hander, Vijay trying to play on the up, gets beaten as the ball just misses the inside edge.
10:09 IST; Dhawan gets off the mark with a single. So both the openers are off and away.
10:08 IST: Lahiru Gamage to share the new ball with Lakmal.
10:07 IST: Four! Vijay gets another one. This time through the vacant third man region. Expensive first over from Lakmal.
10:06 IST: Four! Back of a length and Vijay played it on the up through cover point. First boundary for India and Vijay in the second innings.
10:05 IST: Lakmal right on the money first up. Bowls a beautiful away swinger to start off the first over. Vijay left it alone.
10:04 IST: Suranga Lakmal to take the new ball. Vijay to take strike.
10:00 IST: The Sri Lankan fielders are out there in the middle. Most of them wearing masks again. For India, Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay will open the innings.
9:54 IST: Wicket! Ishant bowls it short, outside off stump and Chandimal (164) went for it, gets a top edge and Dhawan at third man makes no mistake. Sri Lanka bowled out for 373, trail India by 163 runs.
9:51 IST: Sandakan negotiates the last three balls of the Jadeja over without any trouble.
9:50 IST: Chandimal tries to work it on the on side, gets a leading edge and takes a single.
9:48 IST: First change of the morning. Jadeja comes on. Chandimal to take strike. This will be interesting. Will the Sri Lankan captain go for the big one or take the single that is on offer. Almost everyone is at the boundary.
9:46 IST: This time Ishant gets it to move away from the right handed Sandakan, who pokes at it but no damage done.
9:45 IST: Ishant comes round the wicket and bowls a quick bouncer. Sandakan ducks under it.
9:44 IST: Sandakan plays and misses at that one. Ishant would be looking to bowl that line more often.
9:40 IST: Four! Another boundary for Chandimal. Runs are coming thick and fast for Sri Lanka in the morning. Chandimal moves to his highest Test score. Batting on 163 at the moment.
9:39 IST: Four! Shami drifting down the leg side and Chandimal helps it round the corner for a boundary.
9:35 IST: Sandakan negotiates the last two balls of the Ishant over. Sri Lanka 364 for 9.
9:32 IST: Four! Wide outside off stump and Chandimal gets it fine through third man which is a lot squarer. Ishant needs to get closer to the stumps.
9:32 IST: Ishant Sharma to share the new ball with Shami.
9:31 IST: 3 coming of the first over of the day.
9:31 IST: Chandimal guides it for a single to the third man region. Gets a single and brings up his 150.
9:30 IST: Worked it off his legs for a couple. Chandimal moves closer to 150.
9:38 IST: Shami to start the proceedings for the hosts. Chandimal to take strike.
9:26 IST: Hello and welcome to the fourth day's play of the third and final Test match between India and Sri Lanka played at the Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi.
Sri Lanka on their part, would be happy to have saved follow-on, which will ensure that they don't need to bat long enough in the second innings in order to save the Test match. In the previous five Test matches which lasted 16 and half days out of 25, this was the first time that the Lankans put up some resistance courtesy their two senior pros. The Indians will have something to worry about as this innings has been one of their worst fielding efforts with as many as five catches being dropped. The Indian bowlers could not be faulted despite little assistance from the track. Ishant got some of the deliveries to rear up awkwardly, but the Lankan duo did not do anything impetuous, leaving most of them alone. Ishant, in particular, bowled a testing spell to Mathews, with some of the deliveries coming into him after hitting the seam. However, his short deliveries most of the times could be left alone as they were not pitched in the right areas.
After the first hour, Kohli brought back Shami to make good use of the old ball, but there was not much reverse swing on offer. Ishant got a reward in the final session when Sadeera Samarawickrama (33) nicked one for Saha to take a brilliant one-handed catch. Saha repeated the act, but that was a two-handed effort off Shami's bowling to dismiss Suranga Lakmal.
