India inch closer to win in Kotla Test (Roundup)

India reduced Sri Lanka to 31/3 at stumps after setting a target of 410 runs on the fourth day of the third and final Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Tuesday.

Dhananjay De Silva (13) and Angelo Mathews (0) were at the crease when the umpires called it a day, with Sri Lanka 379 behind the target.

Chasing a massive 410, Sri Lanka got off to a bad start as openers Sadeera Samarawickrama (5) and Dimuth Karunaratne (13) failed to provide the start.

Samarawickrama was the first to go when pacer Mohammed Shami fired a perfectly pitched bouncer and it touched the gloves before landing in slips to Ajinkya Rahane.

Karunaratne was sent packing after few overs by left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja.

Now with the scorecard reading 31/2 and conditions at Kotla worsening due to poor visibility, it was difficult to bat. Jadeja made full use of this situation and dismissed nightwatchman Suranga Lakmal two balls later.

Sri Lanka now have a Herculean task to salvage a draw from this position while India need only seven wickets to seal the series 2-0.

In the morning session, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 373 in their first innings, conceding a lead of 163 runs to India.

Resuming the penultimate day at 356/9, skipper Dinesh Chandimal was dismissed at his Test career-best score of 164. He hit 21 fours and a six.

Thereafter, India came in to bat but lost Murali Vijay (9) and Ajinkya Rahane (10) cheaply to reach 51/2 at lunch break and take an overall lead of 214 runs.

In between, the issue of air pollution flared up again in the match, with Lakmal going off the ground after vomiting. The Sri Lankans came out fielding wearing anti-pollution masks.

Lakmal bowled only three overs when he was seen vomiting on the field, prompting the physio to run to the field. He returned to bowl four overs later.

Resuming the second session at 51/2, Dhawan (67) and Pujara (49) added 55 runs to the score before Pujara was caught at slips by Angelo Mathews off Dhananjaya de Silva. Pujara's 66-ball innings was laced with five boundaries.

The fall of Pujara brought in skipper Virat Kohli (50), who along with Dhawan and later Rohit Sharma (50 not out) got to their respective half centuries before declaring at 246/5.

--IANS

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