India batsman Rohit Sharma has said that his side are standing in a 'good position' at the moment after reducing Sri Lanka to 67-3 at draw of stumps on the fourth day of the decisive third and final Test in Colombo on Monday.
Chasing a daunting 386-run target, Sri Lanka stuttered from the beginning and were reeling at 21-3 before Angelo Mathews (22 not out) and Kaushal Silva (24 not out) restored some stability at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
"We stand in a very good position right now. Fast bowlers have been doing the job for us in this game. They bowled really well," said Rohit, who scored a vital 50 in India's second innings.
The 28-year-old batsman also said they are just one step away from securing a series win in the Island nation after 22 years of drought.
"Having a target of 380-plus is never easy for any opposition. We will just have to come out tomorrow and do what we did in the previous match at P Sara. One more job and we are through," he added.
Earlier, India were bundled out for 274 in their second innings after tea, with Ravichandran Ashwin top-scoring with 58 and substantial contributions coming from Rohit and Stuart Binny (49) along with tailenders.
Asserting that the lower-order contribution is very important in Test matches, Rohit said, "The idea was to build small partnerships, we were not looking too far ahead of getting 150-200 partnership."
"As you may have seen the number 7, 8, 9, 10 of the best teams in the world contribute a lot. It helps a team to get to a total where you want. That is the reason we got 380-plus total today."
The three-match Test series is levelled at 1-1 after India claimed a 278-run win in the second match at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo. Sri Lanka won the opening Test match in Galle by 63 runs.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
