Sri Lanka Sitting Pretty In Colombo

Sangakkara - welcome return to form.

Sri Lanka completed a dominant day by taking five evening-session wickets to propel them towards victory in the series-deciding third Test against India in Colombo.

India had laboured before eventually bowling out their hosts for 396 midway through the middle session, conceding a first-innings deficit of 147.

Openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir gave India a flying start in reducing that arrears as they scored at more than a run a ball in the hour before tea.

But shortly after the resumption debutant Dammika Prasad removed both batsmen in consecutive overs before the Indian middle order again succumbed to the spinning threat of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis to slump to 161 for five at the close - a lead of just 14 runs.

Veteran Rahul Dravid remained at the crease on 46, while VVS Laxman, who was demoted to seven in a failed bid to buy him time as he recovers from the rolled ankle he sustained in Saturday's warm-up session, was also unbeaten on 17.

Earlier, Sri Lanka's lower order had helped the hosts gain control of the match as they took advantage of a sluggish Indian display in the field.

Starting the day with a two-run lead and four wickets in hand, Kumar Sangakkara, who struck a patient century on Saturday, began with a show of intent, striking the second ball, from India captain Anil Kumble, to the cover boundary.

India were without paceman Ishant Sharma, who failed to take the field after suffering a lower back injury during the evening session on Saturday, and their hopes of bowling the Sri Lankans out quickly on a wearing pitch were not helped by some poor ground fielding.

Substitute fielder Rohit Sharma should have run out Prasanna Jayawardene early on but his wayward throw allowed the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper to dive for his crease.

Sangakkara and Jayawardene had combined for a valuable 80-run stand for the seventh wicket when India captain Anil Kumble finally struck 20 minutes before the lunch break to end Sangakkara's seven-hour vigil.

The left-hander misjudged a straight delivery, snicking a chance through to wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel, to depart for a dogged 144 from 288 balls.

Prasad and Jayawardene then further frustrated the Indians in a 63-run stand for the eighth wicket.

Jayawardene fell one run short of his third Test fifty when he flicked a Zaheer Khan delivery straight to Harbhajan Singh at deep square leg.

The Sri Lankan tail continued to wag with Prasad showing he is capable with the bat, striking five boundaries in a bright innings of 36 from 56 balls, before he missed a Harbhajan doosra and was stumped by Patel.

Kumble wrapped up the innings in the next over when he trapped Mendis (17) leg before wicket with the score on 396.

The Indian reply began in brisk fashion as Sehwag and Gambhir looked to quickly erase their 147-run deficit.

The duo had wiped away 57 runs, in nine overs, when tea was called, but the damage was done after the break.

Sehwag (34) fell in just the second over of the evening session when he cut a short-pitch delivery from Prasad to gully where Thilan Samaraweera held a sharp chance to his left.

Gambhir (26) followed his opening partner back to the pavilion in Prasad's next over when he inside edged a pull shot onto his stumps with the score on 65.

Sourav Ganguly then strode to the crease in place of Sachin Tendulkar, who, like Laxman, had failed to reappear on the field since injuring his elbow when spilling a catch on Saturday.

Ganguly survived a dropped chance by Mahela Jayawardene at slip, when he was on eight, from the bowling of Muralitharan. He responded two balls later by lifting the spinner over the fence.

But Ganguly would lose his battle with Muralitharan soon after when he missed a sweep and, despite calling for a review, was given out lbw for 18.

With the Indians looking to protect Tendulkar and Laxman, wicketkeeper Patel was sent to the middle but he lasted just one ball before he was adjudged lbw to Mendis.

Tendulkar was finally sent out to bat and, needing 90 runs to equal Brian Lara's Test record 11,953 runs, looked comfortable until he mis-read a Mendis googly.

The veteran batsman called for a review but third umpire Billy Doctrove concurred with the lbw decision to send him packing for just 14.

The wicket was Mendis' 25th of the series - the most by a debutant in a three-Test series - and moved his side towards a memorable victory.