IND vs SL, 1st Test Day 3: India stay on top despite Dickwella fightback

India are turning back to pace after the spinners struggled to find the breakthrough. While Prasidh Krishna is now operating from the other end.

Sri Lanka are still cautious, but Dickwella and Dinusha have done the hard work of dragging them out of trouble, mohammed Siraj looks sharper in his second spell, hitting 132-135kph. India need to break this partnership before it turns into something bigger.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (185/5 in 51 ovs). Niroshan Dickwella (55)*, Sonal Dinusha (51)* | trail by 277 runs.

Sonal Dinusha has his second Test fifty, and Sri Lanka are finally finding some breathing room. He gets there with a couple of runs off Kuldeep Yadav, completing a patient knock that has helped absorb India’s early pressure.

It has been far from risk-free. While Dinusha even missed a sweep earlier in the over, dickwella has survived another top edge and a couple of close calls. But the pair have now taken Sri Lanka to 184/5, and India are being made to work for the next breakthrough.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (184/5 in 49 ovs). Niroshan Dickwella (54)*, Sonal Dinusha (51)* | trail by 278 runs.

Mohammed Siraj is back, and so is the chatter. He finds some movement away from the bat and beats Sonal Dinusha, but the Sri Lankan fights back with two boundaries in the over.

India have responded by adding another slip, with two slips and a gully now in place. Siraj is also urging his teammates to lift the energy as this stubborn partnership continues to grow.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (178/5 in 48 ovs). Niroshan Dickwella (51), Sonal Dinusha (48) | trail by 284 runs.**

Niroshan Dickwella has answered the questions around his selection in the best possible way. He brings up his 23rd Test fifty, showing the busy, proactive approach that has helped him survive against India’s spinners on a testing surface.

It is an notable knock too. Sri Lanka slipped to 53/5 earlier, but Dickwella and Sonal Dinusha have dragged them forward and given the hosts some breathing room. India are still well ahead, but this partnership is making the visitors work for the next breakthrough.

Dickwella gets a warm round of applause from the crowd and dressing room, raises his bat and looks up to the heavens. A useful fifty at a time when Sri Lanka badly needed one.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (167/5 in 46 ovs). Niroshan Dickwella (50)*, Sonal Dinusha (38)* | trail by 295 runs.

Sri Lanka are hanging around, but Kuldeep Yadav is making them work for every run. While Niroshan Dickwella survives another top edge from a sweep, with the ball landing safely.

Both batters have had their share of luck against the spinners, and India will feel they could easily have had another wicket or two, sonal Dinusha gets a faint outside edge that falls just short of KL Rahul at slip. The pressure, however, remains firmly on Sri Lanka.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (153/5 in 44 ovs). Niroshan Dickwella (39), Sonal Dinusha (35) | trail by 309 runs

Ravindra Jadeja is back into the attack and, unsurprisingly, he wants an LBW every other ball. He has one huge appeal against Niroshan Dickwella turned down, with DRS showing the ball would have missed the stumps by a fair distance.

Jadeja then oversteps and gifts Sri Lanka a no-ball, before having to bowl the delivery again. Meanwhile, the numbers show just how unusual Manav Suthar’s release point is. It is the closest to the stumps among left-arm spinners bowling around the wicket since tracking data began.

Sri Lanka have continued to chip away at the deficit, with Dickwella and Dinusha now both into the 30s. India still have complete control, but the partnership is making them work for the next breakthrough.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (149/5 in 42 ovs). Niroshan Dickwella (37)*, Sonal Dinusha (33)*

A chance goes down, but this was a seriously difficult one. Manav Suthar gets Niroshan Dickwella to edge a late cut, but the ball flies quickly towards KL Rahul at slip.

Rahul reacts sharply to his right, but the thick edge comes too swiftly for him to hold on. He does well to avoid taking one in the face, and Dickwella gets away with two runs.

India will rue the opportunity, but that was no sitter. Sri Lanka have also quietly moved to 128/5, with the deficit now down to 334 runs.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (128/5 in 36 ovs). Niroshan Dickwella (22), Sonal Dinusha (28)

Another review bites the dust for India. Ravindra Jadeja was convinced this was out, and India went upstairs after the ball struck Sonal Dinusha’s pad. But there was no bat involved, and ball-tracking showed it bouncing over leg stump.

That’s now two reviews lost by India, adding a little frustration to an otherwise dominant day.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (113/5 in 34.1 ovs). Sonal Dinusha (24)*, Niroshan Dickwella (18)*

Sri Lanka have shown a little more fight after lunch, but Manav Suthar remains the centre of the action. He had Dickwella in trouble with one that turned sharply into the pads, prompting another review — but the impact was outside off, so it stayed with the umpire’s call and India retain the review.

Earlier, India had also reviewed an appeal involving Sonal Dinusha, only for replays to show no bat or glove. Between the reviews, Sri Lanka have chipped away at the deficit with sweeps and the odd loose delivery from the spinners.

India still have a firm grip, but Sri Lanka are making them work for the next wicket.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (118/5 in 32 ovs). Sonal Dinusha (18)*, Niroshan Dickwella (22)*

Welcome to the start of the second session.

Manav Suthar and Ravidra Jadeja have started the session with some zip. Both are extracting a lot of turn from the pitch.

Sri Lanka are 99/5 as the game resumes and have to bat out of their skin to save this Test match.

India have Sri Lanka 99/5 and firmly on the back foot, with Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja all among the wickets. The hosts have found a few runs, but the damage is already significant.

Niroshan Dickwella went on two boundaries in Kuldeep’s over to bring some momentum, but the bigger question remains overhead. Dark clouds, strong winds and the groundsmen on standby suggest Galle’s weather may yet interrupt another session.

Sri Lanka still trail by 363 runs, so India have plenty of control — provided the weather allows them to apply it.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (99/5 in 28 ovs). Niroshan Dickwella (8), Sonal Dinusha (14) — trail by 363 runs.**

Turns out Jadeja’s over wasn’t the final one before lunch. While the groundstaff are already stationed along the boundary, ready to sprint into action.

And there’s a reason for the caution: dark clouds are gathering over Galle again, kuldeep Yadav is back for another over. India have just struck to remove Dhananjaya, but the weather may have one more twist before the lunch break.

Sri Lanka’s captain is gone at the stroke of lunch! Ravindra Jadeja gets his first wicket of the match with a classic left-arm spinner’s dismissal — the ball drifts in from around the wicket and Dhananjaya de Silva edges one low.

KL Rahul takes it inches off the ground, and after a TV check confirms his fingers are underneath the ball, the captain’s walk back is confirmed. Dhananjaya departs for 21, and Sri Lanka have now lost half their side.

A huge wicket for India just before the break.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (90/5 in 26.1 ovs). Sonal Dinusha (13) — trail by 372 runs.*

It looks like Ravindra Jadeja will bowl the final over before lunch, with India keeping the spin pressure on Sri Lanka. The hosts have steadied things slightly but remain 90/4, trailing by 372 runs.

Dhananjaya de Silva and Sonal Dinusha have survived the morning’s early damage, but India will be hoping Jadeja can sneak in one more breakthrough before the break.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (90/4 in 26 ovs). Dhananjaya de Silva (21)*, Sonal Dinusha (13)* — trail by 372 runs.*

Shubman Gill is keeping Sri Lanka guessing with the bowling changes. After squeezing them with three spinners, the India captain brings Prasidh Krishna back into the attack, and the pacer immediately adds a different challenge.

Prasidh operates around the 136-138kph mark, keeping the batters pinned back. Sri Lanka pick up a couple of singles, but there is no easy scoring on offer, with a slip still in place.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (84/4 in 24 ovs). Dhananjaya de Silva (16), Sonal Dinusha (11)**

Ravindra Jadeja is finding plenty to work with too. Dhananjaya de Silva survives a sharp one that turns away, but then pounces when Jadeja offers a touch too much width, punching it through point for four.

That is the balance India will like. The pitch is offering enough spin to create danger, but the odd loose ball is there for Sri Lanka to cash in. Gill’s men remain firmly in control, with Sri Lanka still struggling to build any real momentum.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (80/4 in 23 ovs). Dhananjaya de Silva (15), Sonal Dinusha (10)**

Shubman Gill is clearly reading the conditions well. With the ball gripping and turning, the India captain has brought Ravindra Jadeja into the attack, giving him a third spin option alongside Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar.

Jadeja starts tidily, conceding just one run from his first over as Sri Lanka continue to find scoring difficult. India now have spin coming from both ends, with close catchers waiting for the slightest mistake.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (67/4 in 20 ovs). Dhananjaya de Silva (4), Sonal Dinusha (8)**

Sri Lanka are trying to steady themselves, but India’s spinners are making life uncomfortable. Manav Suthar and Kuldeep Yadav are getting enough turn and bounce to keep the batters guessing, with close catchers crowding the bat.

Sonal Dinusha has shown some intent, stepping out to Suthar and driving for three, but there have been plenty of plays and misses too. Dhananjaya de Silva is being kept quiet at the other end, with two slips, leg slip and short leg waiting for the mistake.

India aren’t rushing for wickets. They are squeezing, and on this surface, that could be just as dangerous.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (66/4 in 19 ovs). Dhananjaya de Silva (4)*, Sonal Dinusha (7)*

WHAT A CATCH! Kamindu Mendis comes down the track to Kuldeep Yadav, turns the ball into a full delivery and pushes it uppishly. He probably thought he had found the gap, but Shubman Gill had other ideas.

The India captain throws himself throughout at slip and pulls off a sensational one-handed catch, leaving the Sri Lankan crowd stunned. Kuldeep gets the wicket, but Gill has stolen the show.

Mendis departs for 14, and India are firmly on top.

SL vs IND 1st Test Day 3: Sri Lanka (59/4 in 16.1 ovs). Dhananjaya de Silva (4)*