India were 28 for no loss in reply to Sri Lanka's 425 at tea on the second day of the third and final Test at the P. Sara Oval on Wednesday.
India were 28 for no loss in reply to Sri Lanka's 425 at tea on the second day of the third and final Test at the P. Sara Oval on Wednesday.
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Virender Sehwag was unbeaten on 21 and Murali Vijay was on six as India chase a series-levelling victory after losing the first Test by 10 wickets.
Sehwag has already hit five boundaries, including three in a row off left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara.
Sri Lanka's first innings prospered through Thilan Samaraweera's 12th century before the hosts were all out midway through the post-lunch session.
Samaraweera, a 33-year-old veteran of 60 Tests, remained unbeaten on 137 after reaching his hundred in the last over before lunch, courtesy of an overthrow that fetched the batsman five runs.
The overnight pair of Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews batted for an hour to take their fifth-wicket partnership to 89 runs, when India finally broke through.
Mathews, who made 45, was trapped leg-before by Pragyan Ojha, giving the Hyderabad left-arm spinner his third wicket in the innings.
Ojha struck again six overs later when Prasanna Jayawardene, who made nine, missed an attempted sweep and was caught plumb in front of the wicket.
Sri Lanka, who went to lunch on 369-6, lost two quick wickets after resumption.
Suraj Randiv top-edged a sweep off Sehwag, while leg-spinner Amit Mishra held a return catch from Lasith Malinga to claim his first wicket after 37 overs which cost 130 runs.
Mishra, who replaced the injured Harbhajan Singh, finished with expensive figures of 1-140 from 42 overs.
Ojha was the lone Indian bowler to take advantage of a wicket assisting turn and bounce to return with 4-115. Seamer Ishant Sharma claimed 3-72, including the last two wickets.
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