Bowlers' day out opens up India-Sri Lanka Test

The decisive third and final Test between India and Sri Lanka was on a knife edge after 15 wickets fell during a dramatic third day's play in Colombo on Sunday. Play ended with India on 21-3 in their second innings, an overall lead of 132 with seven wickets in hand on a seaming pitch at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
With the series locked at 1-1 and bowlers from both sides trying to press home the advantage, a fine rearguard action by Sri Lanka's lower order stood out. India's makeshift opener Cheteshwar Pujara carried his bat through his side's innings to anchor his team to a competitive 312 before their first innings ended 25 minutes after the start of the day's play.
The hosts slipped to 47-6 in reply and were in danger of being asked to follow on before the last four wickets added 154 runs in a remarkable revival that helped them to 201 soon after tea.
Indian seamer Ishant Sharma picked up five wickets, but Sri Lanka were saved by a defiant 79-run partnership between debutant wicket-keeper Kusal Perera and tailender Rangana Herath. The pair joined hands with the hosts still 66 away from avoiding the follow-on and with Dhammika Prasad having retired hurt after being hit on the hand by a rising ball from Sharma.
Left-handed Perera, making his Test debut after playing 48 one-day internationals and 20 Twenty20 games, smashed the Indian bowlers for 55 off 56 balls with the help of nine boundaries. Perera was dismissed by Sharma, top-edging a pull to mid-off, but 37-year-old veteran Herath made 49 and Prasad, who returned to bat after being treated in the dressing room, chipped in with 27.
Ishant Sharma said Perera and Herath had "nothing to lose" when they went after the bowling in a desperate bid to boost the total.
"Talking of Kusal Perera, he had nothing to lose and was just going after the bowling," the lanky seamer said. "As a bowler, one really can't do much except bowl in the right areas.
"He was slogging till the end. What we can do is set a field, set a plan and bowl according to that plan, so that the captain does not look like a fool on the ground."
Sharma said the team had not talked of what would be a good score to defend in the fourth innings.
Sri Lanka won the opening Test in Galle by 63 runs but India drew level with a 278-run win in the second match at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo on Monday.-AFP
Scoreboard
India 1st innings (overnight 292-8):

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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

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Extras: (lb2, w4, nb7, pen5)       18

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Total (all out, 100.1 overs)      312

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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:

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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

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Extras: (lb1, w2, nb7)             10

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Total: (all out, 52.2 overs)      201

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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)

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India 2nd innings:

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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

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Total: (for 3 wkts, 8.1 overs)     21

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