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28 March 2024

Lanka fight back after Ishant fires India

India's Stuart Binny (R) celebrates after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka's Dinesh Chandimal (L) during the third day of their third and final test cricket match in Colombo , August 30, 2015. (Reuters)

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By Agencies

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma's seventh five-wicket haul helped India bundle out Sri Lanka for 201 but the hosts fought back to take three quick wickets and leave the third and final Test evenly poised on Sunday.

India were at 21 for three in their second innings when rain brought an early close to the third day's play with the tourists having an overall lead of 132 runs. Captain Virat Kohli (one) and Rohit Sharma (14) were at the crease.

First-innings centurion Cheteshwar Pujara was bowled for a duck by the second ball of the innings from Dhammika Prasad and Lokesh Rahul was again out shouldering arms, this time to Nuwan Pradeep.

Pradeep also dismissed Ajinkya Rahane to leave India tottering at seven for three.

Earlier, bowling an impeccable line and length after India made 312 in their first innings, Ishant put his team in the driving seat for a series-clinching win with the sides level at 1-1.

The tall right-arm paceman extracted enough movement off the pitch with the new ball to run through Sri Lanka's top order and he picked up two more wickets to give India a lead of 111 runs.

Ishant had Upul Tharanga (four) caught at second slip by Lokesh Rahul, who had earlier dropped the same batsman on zero in the first over of the innings.

Tharanga could consider himself unlucky with replays showing the delivery was perilously close to a no ball but the television umpire ruled Ishant's delivery was legal.

After opener Kaushal Silva fell to paceman Umesh Yadav for three, Dinesh Chandimal (23) launched a counter-attack.

Chandimal hit five fours in his 27-ball knock, but was given out lbw to seamer Stuart Binny with replays indicating the ball could have gone over the stumps.

Ishant returned to get Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews (one) edging behind with his first ball for debutant Indian wicketkeeper Naman Ojha to complete his first test dismissal.

DROPPED CHANCES

The 26-year-old Ishant had Lahiru Thirimanne caught for a duck by Rahul immediately after lunch, reducing Sri Lanka to 47-6 and in danger of following on.

But Rahul dropped his second catch of the day, putting down debutant wicketkeeper Kusal Perera on nine off Yadav.

The movement off the pitch soon dried up for the Indian bowlers and Perera (55) made full use of the reprieve to complete his maiden half-century, studded with nine fours.

The diminutive left-hander became Ishant's fourth victim but not until he had taken his team past the follow-on mark with Herath (49), who became Ishant's fifth wicket of the innings.

Tharindu Kaushal (16) was given out lbw against leg-spinner Amit Mishra although replays suggested he may have found an inside edge.

India added 20 runs in the morning to their overnight score of 292-8 to complete a solid first innings and Pujara carried his bat to finish unbeaten on 145.

Left-arm spinner Herath bowled out tail-enders Ishant and Yadav to finish with three wickets and Prasad completed figures of 4-100.

Scoreboard at stumps on the third day of the third and final Test between Sri Lanka and India at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Sunday:

India 1st innings (overnight 292-8):
L. Rahul b Prasad                   2
C. Pujara not out                 145
A. Rahane lbw b Pradeep             8
V. Kohli c Perera b Mathews        18
R. Sharma c Tharanga b Prasad      26
S. Binny lbw b Prasad               0
N. Ojha c Tharanga b Kaushal       21
R. Ashwin c Perera b Prasad         5
A. Mishra st Perera b Herath       59
I. Sharma b Herath                  6
U. Yadav b Herath                   4
Extras: (lb2, w4, nb7, pen5)       18
Total (all out, 100.1 overs)      312
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Rahul), 2-14 (Rahane), 3-64 (Kohli), 4-119 (R. Sharma), 5-119 (Binny), 6-173 (Ojha), 7-180 (Ashwin), 8-284 (Mishra), 9-298 (I. Sharma), 10-312 (Yadav)
Bowling: Prasad 26-4-100-4 (nb4, w1), Pradeep 22-6-52-1 (w3), Mathews 13-6-24-1, Herath 27.1-3-84-3, Kaushal 12-2-45-1 (nb3)

Sri Lanka 1st innings:
U. Tharanga c Rahul b I. Sharma     4
K. Silva b Yadav                    3
D. Karunaratne c Rahul b Binny     11
D. Chandimal lbw b Binny           23
A. Mathews c Ojha b I. Sharma       1
L. Thirimanne c Rahul b I. Sharma   0
K. Perera c Kohli b I. Sharma      55
D. Prasad st Ojha b Mishra         27
R. Herath c Ojha b I. Sharma       49
T. Kaushal lbw b Mishra            16
N. Pradeep not out                  2
Extras: (lb1, w2, nb7)             10
Total (all out, 52.2 overs)       201
Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Tharanga), 2-11 (Silva), 3-40 (Chandimal), 4-45 (Mathews), 5-47 (Karunaratne), 6-47 (Thirimanne), 7-127 (Perera), 8-156 (Kaushal), 9-183 (Herath), 10-201 (Prasad)    
Bowling: I. Sharma 15-2-54-5 (nb6, w1), Yadav 13-2-64-1, Binny 9-3-24-2 (w1), Ashwin 8-1-33-0, Mishra 7.2-1-25-2 (nb1)

India 2nd innings:
C. Pujara b Prasad                  0
L. Rahul b Pradeep                  2
A. Rahane lbw b Pradeep             4
V. Kohli not out                    1
R. Sharma not out                  14
Extras:                             0
Total (for 3 wickets, 8.1 overs)   21
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Pujara), 2-2 (Rahul), 3-7 (Rahane)   
Bowling: Prasad 4.1-2-8-1, Pradeep 3-1-6-2, Herath 1-0-7-0 

India lead by 132 runs with seven wickets in hand
Toss: Sri Lanka
Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG) and Rod Tucker (AUS)
TV umpire: Raveendra Wimalasiri (SRI)
Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

AFTER TEA

Sri Lanka, replying to India's first innings total of 312, were all out for 201 after tea on the third day of the decisive final Test in Colombo on Sunday.

Debutant Kusal Perera top-scored with 55 and Rangana Herath made 49, with the last four wickets adding 154 runs after the hosts were reduced to 47-6.

Seamer Ishant Sharma finished with 5-54 to help India take a lead of 111 runs.

Earlier, Indian opener Cheteshwar Pujara carried his bat with an unbeaten 145 as the tourists added 20 to their overnight score of 292-8 before being dismissed 25 minutes after play began.

Sri Lanka won the opening Test in Galle by 63 runs and India drew level with a 278-run victory in the second match at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo last Monday.

POST-LUNCH

Kusal Perera departs after making a quickfire 55 in 56 balls. Sri Lanka left tottering at 127/7.

Herath brings up the fifty-run partnership with Perera. 100 up for Sri Lanka.

Lahiru Thirimanne goes for a golden duck. Sri Lanka reduced to 58/6.
 

EARLIER TODAY

Seamers Ishant Sharma and Stuart Binny picked up two wickets apiece as India took control of the third and final test against Sri Lanka by reducing the hosts to 47 for five at lunch on the third day on Sunday.

Bowling an impeccable line and length after their batsmen gave them a first innings total of 312, the Indian pacemen put the visitors in the driving seat for a series-clinching win in the series tied at 1-1.

Ishant struck the first blow by dismissing Upul Tharanga (four) caught at second slip by Lokesh Rahul, who had earlier dropped the same batsman on zero in the first over of Sri Lanka's innings.

Tharanga, who replaced the retired Kumar Sangakkara in the side for the match, could consider himself unlucky with replays showing the delivery was perilously close to be called a no ball but the television umpire ruled Ishant's delivery legal.

Fellow opener Kaushal Silva (three) was late to take his bat away from a sharp and rising delivery from Umesh Yadav and got an inside edge crashing onto his stumps.

Dinesh Chandimal (23) launched a counter attack, hitting five fours in his 27-ball knock, but was given out lbw to Binny with replays indicating the ball was a bit high and could have gone over the stumps.

Ishant returned for his second spell to get Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews (one) edging behind on his first ball for debutant Indian wicketkeeper Naman Ojha to complete his first test dismissal.

Binny then had number three batsman Dimuth Karunaratne (11) caught by Rahul at second slip with the final delivery before the break to send half the Sri Lankan batting line-up back to the dressing room.

Earlier, India added 20 runs to their overnight score of 292-8 to complete a solid first innings.

Cheteshwar Pujara, forced to bat at the top due to injuries to regular openers, carried his bat through to remain unbeaten on 145 for the visitors.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath bowled out tail-enders Ishant and Yadav to finish with three wickets in the innings. Paceman Dhammika Prasad was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers with figures of 4-100.