Game nicely balanced at Eden Gardens with two days to go

Fighting fifties from Angelo Mathews (52) and Lahiru Thirimanne (51) helped Sri Lanka to within seven runs of the Indian first innings total, with six wickets in tact at stumps on day three. The duo played and missed with great regularity, but hung around long enough to reap rewards, when the bowlers erred in the desperation for wickets. They stitched the highest stand of the match so far, adding 99 in the best batting conditions till now.

The sun finally made an appearance at the Eden Gardens, after the first two days were largely truncated due to rain. That meant that the moisture laden pitch dried considerably, but still offered enough lateral movement to keep the batsmen honest. A set Cheteshwar Pujara found that out early in the day. Having just surpassed a tenacious fifty, he was bowled through the gate by one that jagged sharply back into him from Lahiru Gamage. However, the Indian tail wagged in partnership with Wriddhiman Saha to catapult the total to 172 from a dire 79 for six.

In response, the Sri Lankan openers began fluently before Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck first blood, as Dimuth Karunaratne shouldered arms to an inswinger. While he reviewed the decision, it was upheld by the third umpire, with the ball hitting offstump three quarters of the way up as per Hawkeye. Next to go was Sadeera Samarawickrama, who flashed at an outswinger bowled from wide of the crease, only managing an outside edge to the keeper Saha. Once again, it was Bhuvneshwar, the pick of the Indian bowlers, who struck.

Umesh Yadav wasn't far behind, although not always as lucky. Thirimanne, who eventually fell to Yadav, had been dropped off the fast bowler at first slip by Shikhar Dhawan when he was batting on 27. Immediately after dislodging Thirimanne, Yadav followed up with the wicket of Mathews, who played an uncharacteristically loose shot and ended up spooning a catch to short cover. That brought a semblance of balance back in a match, Sri Lanka looked to be running away with till the Tea interval.

The sun hid behind the clouds in the final session and all of a sudden the Indian bowlers found appreciable movement. Captain Dinesh Chandimal and wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella survived anxious moments in fading light, to remain unbeaten, as Sri Lanka finished on 165 for four, with another two days to go in the Test.