COLOMBO: Sri Lankan batters were defiant in phases but the Indian bowlers made a timely intervention to reduce the hosts to 229 for six in their second innings on day four of the second and final Test here on Wednesday.
Sonal Dinusha (7) and Keshara Nuwantha (3) were in the middle at stumps when the now customary evening rain and bad light stopped play. But India will be eager to end Lanka's last vestige of hope and wrap the match and series on day five.
Before Indian bowlers established their domination, the 115-run third wicket alliance between Pasindu Sooriyabandara (92) and Kamindu Mendis (55) was the primary source of Lankan fightback.
Sooriyabandara and Mendis joined forces when Lanka were wobbling at 63 for two, but resisted the Indian bowlers for the next 110 minutes. The pair bridged the heavy 213-run innings deficit that forced them to follow-on.
However, Sri Lanka’s effort in that period was a marked improvement from their first dig in which they were bundled out for 290, which was a mere 13 runs shy of the follow-on mark. That total was constructed around the highly-impressive Dinusha’s 103, his second hundred of the series.
But the Sooriyabandara-Mendis partnership in the ongoing innings was the reason behind the match getting extended to its final day after they lost openers Lahiru Udara and Kamil Mishara early in the second essay.
It is easy to imagine their stand as an obdurate one considering the situation in which Sri Lanka found themselves in. But Sooriyabandara and Mendis played with freedom and were never hesitant to take the attack to the bowlers.
Mendis creamed Manav Suthar for two sixes, and did not allow the left-arm spinner to settle into a consistent rhythm. Later, Sooriyabandara too slog-swept Suthar for a six as the young tweaker struggled for an impact for the first time in this series.
Mendis reached his fifty off 87 balls with a flourish, pulling Prasidh Krishna for a six and soon Sooriyabandara too joined his teammate with a 78-ball fifty. However, Prasidh broke the swelling stand with a short-pitched ball which cramped Mendis for room, and Shubman Gill completed a fine running catch to give marching orders to the Lankan batter.
The host went into tea at a rather comfortable position of 199 for three, needing just 14 runs more to overhaul the ignominy of an innings defeat.
However, the final session of the day redrew the complexion of the match as India picked up three wickets.
Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva was the first to depart, inside edging Suthar to Devdutt Padikkal in the cordon.
Sooriyabandara looked primed for his maiden Test hundred but a moment of madness snapped his stay. Till then batting with composure, the right-hander gave a charge to Suthar.
The Indian tweaker detected the charge very early and fired a delivery wide of Sooriyabandara and Rishabh Pant just had the job of whipping the bails.
Saransh Jain, who generated considerable turn, trapped Niroshan Dickwella in front of stumps as the home side slumped to 218 for six.
With nearly an hour remaining on the day, India tried to pull curtains down on Lanka innings but the skies opened up with a vengeance to halt the play at 4.37 pm.
Sri Lanka had another little moment of joy too earlier in the first segment of the day when Dinusha, who was overnight 85, compiled his hundred.
Dinusha raced to the 90s with a six, a slog sweep, and four, again whacked to the on-side, off Jain. The right-hander reached the coveted three-figure with a thunderous pull off Prasidh, a moment he celebrated with pride and gusto. But his effort was not enough to save his side from the follow-on.
However, India had a moment of worry as pacer Mohammad Siraj hurt himself while diving for a catch. The pacer had to go out to get medical attention but was back on the field after some time.
But in the second session he bowled with a shorter run-up and often Rishabh Pant, who returned to wicketkeeping duties after abstaining on the third day, too stayed up to the wicket.
