COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Pasindu Sooriyabandara scored an unbeaten half-century but India’s Prasidh Krishna made a vital breakthrough to end an important partnership and have Sri Lanka in trouble at 130 for four at lunch on Day 3 of the second test.
At the first interval Tuesday, Sri Lanka trailed India’s first-innings total by 373 runs. Sooriyabandara was unbeaten on 65 and captain Dhananjaya de Silva was not out on 4.
, helped by 117 runs from Devdutt Padikkal and Druv Jurel’s unbeaten 115.
Sri Lanka was rattled early in reply, slipping to 8 for two by stumps and then losing overnight batter Kamil Mishara (19) with the total on 35.
Sooriyabandara, who was dismissed for a first-ball duck in the first test in Galle while batting as a concussion substitute for Dinesh Chandimal, appeared composed despite the precarious start to Sri Lanka’s innings here. He mixed caution and attack in his 93-ball stand, hitting nine boundaries.
His 87-run partnership off 126 deliveries with Kamindu Mendis (32) helped revive Sri Lanka’s innings but that ended shortly before lunch when Mendis hit a ball from Krishna to Ravindra Jadeja at midwicket.
Krishna led India’s attacking with bowling figures of 3-35, with spin bowler Manav Suthar also taking a wicket.
Only 58 overs of play was possible because of rain on Day 2, and more rain Tuesday threatened to shorten the match further.
India leads the two-match series after in the first test at Galle.
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