Sri Lanka trail India by 238 runs in second Test / Photo: Ishara S. KODIKARA - AFP
Sri Lanka trail India by 238 runs in second Test
Sri Lanka were fighting hard to avoid the follow-on when rain brought an early end to play on day three of the second Test against India, with the hosts on 265-8 on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka still need a further 39 runs to avoid being asked to bat again, still 238 runs behind India's first-innings total of 503-9 declared.
Only 80.4 of the 98 overs scheduled for the day were possible due to rain.
Wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella was dismissed for a third-ball duck, reducing Sri Lanka to 173-7.
However, Sonal Dinusha added 57 runs for the eighth wicket with Keshara Nuwantha (18) to frustrate the tourists.
Nuwantha was dismissed soon after tea but Dinusha found another able ally in fast bowler Lahiru Kumara, who batted for more than an hour as the pair added another 35 runs for the ninth wicket.
Dinusha, Sri Lanka's standout performer in the first Test, continued to impress.
The all-rounder, who scored 100 and 84 last week in Galle, ended the day on 85 not out.
Sri Lanka, who resumed on their overnight score of 8-2, lost two wickets in the morning session before India made further inroads after lunch, picking up three more wickets.
Pasindu Sooriyabandara, who replaced Dinesh Chandimal as a concussion substitute in the second innings of the Galle Test and featured in the starting eleven for the first time, was the next-best Sri Lankan batsman with 80 runs.
Prasidh Krishna was the pick of India's bowlers, claiming three wickets, often troubling the batters with extra bounce.
India lead the two-match series 1-0, having won the opening Test in Galle by 165 runs.
R.Abate--IM
