Sri Lanka in trouble against India as rain forces early end to Day 3

COLOMBO: India tightened their grip on the second Test against Sri Lanka as the hosts slipped to 265/8 at the end of a rain-hit third day. Play was called off early due to rain, with Sri Lanka still 238 runs behind India’s first-innings total and needing 39 more runs to avoid the follow-on. Sonal Dinusha remained unbeaten on 85, with Lahiru Kumara on 8 at the other end. Sri Lanka had resumed the day at 8/2.

Indian bowlers put Sri Lanka under pressure early in the day, but Pasindu Sooriyabandara (80) and Kamindu Mendis (32) steadied the innings with a crucial partnership. Prasidh Krishna broke the stand by dismissing Mendis and went on to claim two important wickets in the morning session to give India the advantage. Sooriyabandara fought hard but was eventually dismissed for 80 by Ravindra Jadeja. Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva was then dismissed by Manav Suthar.

Sonal Dinusha stood firm as wickets continued to fall around him. After completing his half-century, he kept the innings going with support from the lower order and helped Sri Lanka add valuable runs. For India, Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar took three wickets each, while Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj picked up one wicket apiece. Debutant Saransh Jain went wicketless.

Intermittent rain repeatedly interrupted play before the umpires called an early end to the day. With Sri Lanka at 265/8, their immediate target is to score the 39 runs needed to avoid the follow-on. With only two wickets remaining, India will look to wrap up the Sri Lankan innings quickly on the final day and put further pressure on the hosts.