Indian bowlers tightened their grip on Sri Lanka after a disciplined middle session left the hosts at 216 for seven at tea on the third day of the second and final Test here on Tuesday.
Sonal Dinusha (52) and Keshara Nuwantha (13) were batting at the break, with Sri Lanka trailing India by 287 runs.
Sri Lanka had looked competitive in the opening session despite losing two wickets, adding 122 runs before lunch. However, the visiting bowlers seized control in the middle session, taking three wickets while conceding just 86 runs.
India inflicted an early blow as Manav Suthar found the right length. Suthar forced Dhananjaya de Silva to edge one to KL Rahul, who held on to the catch at first slip at the second attempt.
From that point, there was little respite for the Lankan batters.
The biggest blow was the dismissal of Pasindu Sooriyabandara (80), who had batted with a rare mix of patience and elegance. Ravindra Jadeja, who had made only a cameo appearance in the opening session of the day, bowled one close to Sooriyabandara's body, and the batter's attempt to guide the ball down to point resulted in his stumps being rearranged.
Two runs later, Mohammad Siraj accounted for Niroshan Dickwella with a rather innocuous delivery down the leg side, which the Lankan batter edged to Dhruv Jurel.
Dinusha, who brought up his fifty off 84 balls, and Nuwantha saw off the remainder of the session, but Sri Lanka remained in a precarious position.
Their situation, however, was far better in the morning session, courtesy of a good 87-run partnership between Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis.
Starting the day at 8 for two, the home side showed greater resilience in the opening passage, which was also spiced up by verbal exchanges between Sarfaraz Khan, substituting for Rishabh Pant, Siraj and the Lankan batters.
Before Sri Lanka could gain some foothold, India began the day brightly by dismissing overnight batter Kamil Mishara (19).
Mishara failed to deal with a viciously rising delivery from Prasidh Krishna, fending it to wicketkeeper Jurel.
But Sooriyabandara and Mendis thwarted India's hopes of making further inroads into the Lankan top order for nearly two hours.
They tackled the bowlers with little difficulty and hardly allowed the two spinners, Suthar and debutant Jain, to settle down.
Off-spinner Jain generated some bounce and turn, but the Lankan duo handled the test of their judgement comfortably.
Sooriyabandara, who was playing his second Test, was the lead act in that third-wicket partnership. The elegant right-hander reached his maiden Test fifty off 76 balls.
Mendis, on the other hand, smashed Suthar for a six over mid-wicket to announce his intentions.
But Prasidh, who bowled two lively spells, broke the blossoming partnership with another sharp delivery aimed at the throat of Mendis, who pulled it straight into the hands of Jadeja at mid-wicket.
India regained the stalled momentum with that wicket, with Prasidh's hostile spell proving decisive.
(With inputs from PTI)
