Third Test: India in command on Day 2 (Lead, Tea report)

India kept up pressure on hosts Sri Lanka after gaining the upper hand with 487 runs in their first innings and limiting Sri Lanka to 61/4 at tea on the second day of the third and final cricket Test match here on Sunday.

The hosts were now trailing by 426 runs. Niroshan Dickwella (14) and Dinesh Chandimal (13) were at the crease when umpires called for the break.

After a poor performance by Sri Lankan bowlers, their batsman also disappointed in the middle as they never got going. Poor shot selection and sloppy run-outs triggered a top-order collapse.

Openers Dimuth Karunaratne (4) and Upul Tharanga (5) were dismissed inside five overs by pacer Mohammad Shami. Both batsmen were caught by stumper Wriddhiman Saha.

After 14/1, Kusal Mendis (18) came in the middle and tried to hold the innings together but a sloppy run out caused the damage and Mendis was sent back to the pavillion with the scoreboard reading 38/3.

Skipper Chandimal, however, played the ball to its merit but a poor shot selection from new batsman Angelo Mathews (0) saw Sri Lanka reeling at 38/4.

Incoming batsman Dickwella and Chandimal then played sensibly and survived the tea session without losing their wickets.

For India, pacer Mohammad Shami took two wickets for 15 runs while Hardik Pandya chipped in with one wicket.

Earlier, India were dismissed for 487 shortly after lunch with opener Shikhar Dhawan (119) and all-rounder Hardik Pandya (108) scoring handsomely for the visitors.

Brief scores:

India (first innings): 487 vs Sri Lanka (first inings): 61/4 (Niroshan Dickwella 14 batting; Mohammad Shami 2/15).

--IANS

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