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1st Test, Day 3: India extend lead to 498 against Sri Lanka; visitors in commanding position

Team India took a massive lead of 498 runs against Sri Lanka as they scored 189/3 in the second innings at the end of third day's play.

By PTI

Galle, July 28: Team India took a massive 498-run lead at the end of third day's play against Sri Lanka after bundling the hosts out for 291 in their first innings here on Friday (July 28).

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The visitors were 189/3 as the dismissal of opener Abhinav Mukund (81) in the final over of the day forced the umpires to signal the teams to head back towards pavilion.

1st Test, Day 3: India extend lead to 498 against Sri Lanka, visitors in commanding position

Mukund was trapped in front of the stumps by Gunathalika. He even went upstairs to refer the umpire's decision only to be proved wrong. His departure thus ended the 133-run stand between him and Virat Kohli (76*).

Mukund would be cursing himself for failing to convert a well brilliant fifty into his maiden Test hundred.

However, the visitors have put themselves into a commanding position in the game from where they couldn't lose the game.

India lost the centurions in the previous innings Shikhar Dhawan (14) and Cheteshwar Pujara (15) cheaply in the second innings. But skipper Kohli and opener Abhinav Mukund struck repesctive half-centuries and frustrated the Lankan bowlers, and took India to a formidable lead.

Earlier in the day, Ravindra Jadeja struck thrice to reduce the hosts to 291/9 in 78.3 overs. Dilruwan Perera (91 not out) defied visitors and took Sri Lanka to that total.

Since, Asela Gunaratne has been ruled out of the series due to thumb injury on day one, hosts were batsman short. Parera's lone effort couldn't save hosts from getting restricted to under 300. India skipper Virat Kohli decided not to impose follow-on and sent his openers to bat.

The hosts were 289/8 at lunch on the third day but their last batsman Lahiru Kumara was cleaned up by Jadeja to put an end to their innings in the post-lunch session.

Earlier, Perera and Angelo Mathews (83) put on 62 runs for the 6th wicket to avoid their team from the humiliation of batting collapse.

Shikhar Dhawan, left, leaves the pitch after being dismissed.

They now are 309 runs behind India's first innings score of 600.

Earlier at lunch break, Perera and Lahiru Kumara (2) were at the crease. Starting from overnight 154-5, Perera and Mathews continued from where they had left and extended their defiant partnership.

Umesh Yadav (1-78) and Ravindra Jadeja (3-67) got proceedings underway for India, but neither could trouble the duo as they brought up their 50-partnership off 96 balls.

Sri Lanka's 200 came up in the 57th over, and they nearly batted out the first hour without any loss before Mathews chipped a catch off Jadeja straight to Virat Kohli at short cover in the 59th over.

There was slight turn available for the spinners on this day three pitch and this wicket was a result of constant pressure built up by the left-arm spinner. In all, Mathews faced 130 balls inclusive of 11 fours and a six. Two overs later, Perera survived a confident lbw shout off Jadeja via DRS.

Originally, he was ruled out lbw but the review came out in his favour, surprisingly. The ball appeared to be sailing well over the stumps, unexpectedly though as seen from Kohli's astonished reaction.

Ravindra Jadeja celebrates taking the wicket.

Perera then reached his 5th Test half-century off 94 balls, inclusive of four fours and three sixes. He added 36 runs with Herath for the 7th wicket and another 39 runs with Nuwan Pradeep (10) for the 8th wicket.

At the other end though, stand-in skipper Rangana Herath (9) was not so lucky as he went for a reverse sweep off Jadeja and only ended up lobbing up the ball off his glove to Ajinkya Rahane at slip for a catch.

The batsman went in for DRS confidently assuming the ball had hit his arm, but Ultra-Edge replay showed that there was some glove involved.

Sri Lanka's 250 came up in the 70th over, as Perera started throwing his bat around and getting runs in boundaries.

Hardik Pandya (1-11) came on to bowl close to the end of session, and cleaned up Pradeep to claim his maiden Test wicket.

On day one, Shikhar Dhawan (190) and Cheteshwar Pujara (153) had scored contrasting centuries to put India in command at 399/3 at stumps.

On day two, Ajinkya Rahane (57) and Hardik Pandya (50) scored half-centuries to take India's first innings total to 600 runs. Sri Lanka were then reduced to 154/5 at stumps.

OneIndia News/PTI

Story first published: Thursday, August 3, 2017, 7:56 [IST]
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