Sri Lankan team is trailing by 180 runs at the end of the Day 3 on 356 for 9. Sri Lanka started the day at 131 for 3 with the duo starting afresh today morning. Former skipper Angelo Mathews scored his eighth Test hundred with Dinesh Chandimal bringing up ninth Test century and finishing the day on a high.
Chandimal and Mathews stitched a strong partnership of 181 runs which helped Sri Lanka bounce back in the third and the final Test in Delhi. It was a far better day of Test cricket at the Feroz Shah Kotla as none of the Sri Lankan players had any problem in adjusting to the conditions. Sri Lanka almost batted out two full sessions without losing a wicket for the very first time in the ongoing Test series. It was some obstinate batting from the two senior Sri Lankan batsmen which frustrated the Indian bowlers.
However, just a couple of over before Tea, the hosts made a comeback as they managed to plug away 6 wickets after the dismissal of Mathews just before the end of the second session. The wicket of Angelo started the collapse of the visitors as the Sadeera Samaraweera only managed to add 61 runs for the fifth wicket before being dismissed by Ishant Sharma off Wriddhiman Saha who held on to an important catch after India missed a couple of chances earlier in the day.
Ashwin then picked up two quick scalps including one of Niroshan Dickwella to expose the Sri Lankan tail. Suranga Lakmal and Lahiru Gamage were then dismissed by Shami and Jadeja respectively with the Lankans managing not to get bowled out before the end of Day 3.
The Indian bowlers bowled consistent line and length and in eh first two sessions and kept the flow of runs in check and they got some rich dividends of that in the final session. It was a combined effort by the Indian bowlers which helped India to still stay ahead in the match.
Sri Lanka at the end of day 3 still trails by 180 runs still having to do a lot more in the last two days of the third and the final Test.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka: 356 for 9 (Chandimal 147*, Mathews 111, Ashwin 3-90) trail India 536 for 7 dec by 180 runs
