India's captain Virat Kohli plays a shot on the third day of the first Test against Sri Lanka (Reuters)
Galle - India lead by 498 runs with seven wickets in hand
Published: Fri 28 Jul 2017, 4:54 PM
Last updated: Mon 31 Jul 2017, 1:47 PM
India reached 189-3 and a second-innings lead of nearly 500 runs after another powerful display on the third day of the first Test against Sri Lanka on Friday.
India captain Virat Kohli remained at the crease on 76. Abhinav Mukund was out lbw for 81 on what turned out to be the last ball of the day in Galle.
India scored 600 in their first innings and then finished bowling Sri Lanka out for 291 earlier Friday.
They go into the fourth day with a commanding lead of 498.
India lost two early wickets - Shikhar Dhawan (14) and Cheteshwar Pujara (15) - in their second innings after Kohli decided not to enforce the follow on.
Dilruwan Perera top-scored for the hosts in their first innings, who are one batsman short following Asela Gunaratne's thumb injury on Wednesday, with an unbeaten 92 while Angelo Mathews scored 83.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the Indian bowlers, claiming 3-67.
Perera rallied the lower order to take the hosts to 289-8 at lunc on Day Two after India made 600 in their first innings, their biggest total in Sri Lanka.
The 35-year-old right-hander showed both caution and aggression during his 126-ball knock, hitting four sixes and 10 fours to rattle the opposition bowlers.
Perera was particularly harsh on Ravichandran Ashwin, hitting the ace spinner for a six and a four in the same over.
Former Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews also impressed before being caught off Ravindra Jadeja who troubled the batsmen often with his guile.
Perera was adjudged leg before wicket off Jadeja but the decision was reversed after TV replays showed the ball would have gone over the middle stump.
Sri Lankan skipper Rangana Herath (nine) was not so lucky though.
Herath tried to go for a reverse-sweep but the ball brushed his glove on its way to Ajinkya Rahane at first slip. Although he asked for a review, the decision was upheld by the third umpire.
Debutant Hardik Pandya claimed his maiden Test wicket when he shattered the stumps of Nuwan Pradeep to reduce the hosts to 280-8.
Sri Lanka are down to 10 men after all-rounder Asela Gunaratne was ruled out of the match and the rest of the series with a broken thumb.
Scoreboard
India 1st innings: 600 all out (Dhawan 190, Pujara 153; Pradeep 6-132)
Sri Lanka 1st innings (overnight 154-5): D. Karunaratne lbw b Yadav 2; U. Tharanga run out 64; D. Gunathilaka c Dhawan b Shami 16; K. Mendis c Dhawan b Shami 0; A. Mathews c Kohli b Jadeja 83; N. Dickwella c Mukund b Ashwin 8; D. Perera not out 92; R. Herath c Rahane b Jadeja 9; N. Pradeep b Pandya 10; L. Kumara b Jadeja 2; Extras (w1, lb4) 5
Total (all out, 78.3 overs) 291
Note: Injured Gunaratne did not bat
Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Karunaratne), 2-68 (Gunathilaka), 3-68 (Mendis), 4-125 (Tharanga), 5-143 (Dickwella), 6-205 (Mathews), 7-241 (Herath), 8-280 (Pradeep), 9-291 (Kumara)
Bowling: Shami 12-2-45-2, Yadav 14-1-78-1, Ashwin 27-5-84-1, Jadeja 22.3-3-67-3, Pandya 3-0-13-1
India 2nd innings: S. Dhawan c Gunathilaka b Perera 14; A. Mukund lbw b Gunathilaka 81; C. Pujara c K. Mendis b Kumara 15; V. Kohli not out 76; Extras (lb-1 w-2) 3
Total (for 3 wickets, 46.3 overs) 189
Fall of wickets: 1-19 (S. Dhawan), 2-56 (C. Pujara), 3-189 (A. Mukund)
To bat: A. Rahane, H. Pandya, W. Saha, R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, U. Yadav, M. Shami
Bowling: Pradeep 10-2-44-0; Perera 12-0-42-1; Kumara 11-1-53-1; Herath 9-0-34-0; Gunathilaka 4.3-0-15-1
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