SL vs IND 3rd Test Day 1: Sri Lanka fight back to restrict India to 329/6

Pallekele: Sri Lankan spinners managed to restrict pull back a few things for their team as India did not make the most of Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul’s 188-run opening stand to end Day 1 of the third Test at 329/6 here on Saturday.

For Sri Lanka, Malinda Pushpakumara and Lakshan Sandakan scalped three and two wickets respectively while Vishwa Fernando dismissed Ravichandran Ashwin in the 88th over of day's play to end Sri Lanka's day on a high.

India 296/5 from 74 overs

Sandakan strikes once again and this time he gets wicket of Virat Kohli who scored 42 runs.The ball curves away from Kohli who goes for drive but the ball takes an edge and goes to slip in the safe hands of Karunaratne.

India 264/4 from 65.4 overs:

WICKET! Ajinkya Rahane's stay in the middle comes to an end as he fails to connect a Malinda Pushpakumara delivery. Rahane danced down the track to play one through the leg-side but the ball went through his bat and pad to disturb the timber. Sri Lanka are making amends after India's big opening stand.

India 229/3 from 50.1 overs

Sandakan strikes as Pujara edges the ball straight to Angelo Mathews in slips. Pujara  tried to play cut shot but it was a weak cut  and  the ball took another nick off keeper Dickwella's pads, and flew to Angelo Mathews at first slip who takes comfortable catch 

India 219/2 from 47.1 overs

WICKET! Dinesh Chandimal takes an absolute blinder at square leg. Pushpakumara has come up with the goods once again, as both the India openers are back in the pavilion now. Dhawan goes for a flat slog-sweep off Pushpakumara. It was firmly struck off the middle of the bat. Unluckily for Dhawan, it was hit within Chandimal's range. The Sri Lanka captain still did very well to react to in and take a diving catch with both hands. India now have two new batters at the crease, exactly what Sri Lanka would have wanted.

India 188/1 from 39.3 overs:

WICKET! Finally, some relief for Sri Lanka as KL Rahul departs. Pushpakumara strikes in his first over as Rahul is out caught at mid-on. He tried to take on the spinner in his first over but failed. India lose their first wicket of the third Test after a 188-run opening stand. Cheteshwar Pujara joins Dhawan in the middle.

India 170/0 from 35 overs:

There is no respite for Sri Lanka as Rahul and Dhawan have continued from they had left before lunch. The two are having no difficulty as they continue to churn out runs at ease. India are clearly dominating the proceedings as they look to post yet another 300-plus total on the opening day of the Test.

Pallekele: Virat Kohli has won the toss as India have elected to bat in the third and final Test of the series against Sri Lanka here on Saturday.  With the series already won, the Kohli-led India will aim to continue their dominance over Sri Lanka.

India have made one change to the team as suspended Ravindra Jadeja makes way for Kuldeep Yadav.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have made three changes to their team as Lakshan Sandakan, Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando are a part of Sri Lanka's playing with injured Rangana Herath and Nuwan Pradeep sitting out, Dhananjaya de Silva dropped.

While Sri Lanka, who put up some resistance in the second innings of the second Test, are doing everything in their power to avoid a cleansweep; like taking off the grass cover from the pitch, it will not be an easy task for Dinesh Chandimal and Co with their ace spinner Rangana Herath ruled out of the third Test due to back pain.

India, meanwhile, will also miss the services of numero uno all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja as he was suspended over a dangerous throw at Dimuth Karunaratne in the second Test. While Axar Patel is picked in the Indian squad as Jadeja’s replacement, it is likely that chinaman Kuldeep Yadav will accompany Ravichandran Ashwin as the two will take care of India’s spin-bowling department.

Indian batsmen are in a good form with all of them amongst runs. While Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli could not score heavily in the second Test, the two have hundreds against their name in the first. Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul too have good scores against their name with the likes of Wriddhiman Saha, R Ashwin and Hardik Pandya making healthy contributions to team’s cause. But it is Cheteshwar Pujara, India’s “best Test batsman”, who has been a thorn in Sri Lanka’s flesh with two hundreds in two Tests.

Sri Lanka’s batting meanwhile has been heavily reliant on Dimuth Karunratne. The Sri Lankan opener has been a standout performer for the hosts in the first two Tests. However, Sri Lanka will want Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella to continue with their form as the likes of Upul Tharanga, Angelo Mathews and Chandimal struggle to get amongst runs.

Squads:

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Angelo Mathews, Upul Tharanga, Dimuth Karunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Lahiru Thirimanne, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Gamage, Dilruwan Perera, Malinda Pushpakumara, Lakshan Sandakan.

India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice captain), Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, W Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, M Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund.

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