Colombo: Pasindu Sooriyabandara blocked Indian bowlers for a whole session to make a defiant unbeaten 90, carrying Sri Lanka to 199 for three in their second innings at tea on day four of the second and final Test here Wednesday.
Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (4) is giving company to Sooriyabandara at the break, and the home side now trails India by 14 runs.
But the highlight of the middle passage was the 115-run alliance for the third wicket with Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis (55, 92b).
The pair fought against India bowlers for 110 minutes, bridging the heavy 213-run innings deficit that forced them to follow-on.
Sri Lanka’s effort in the second innings was a marked improvement from the first dig in which they were bundled out for 290.
That total was constructed around Sonal Dinusha’s 103, his second hundred of the series.
However, the Sooriyabandara-Mendis partnership in the ongoing innings was anything but obdurate. Both the batters played with freedom and were never hesitant to take the attack to the bowlers.
Mendis creamed Manav Suthar for two sixes, and did not allow the left-arm spinner to settle into a consistent rhythm.
Later, Sooriyabandara too slog-swept Suthar for a six as the young tweaker struggled for an impact for the first time in this series.
Mendis reached his fifty with a flourish, pulling Prasidh Krishna for a six off 87 balls and soon Sooriyabandara too joined his teammate with a 78-ball fifty.
However, Prasidh broke the swelling stand with a short-pitched ball which cramped Mendis for room, and Shubman Gill completed a fine running catch to give marching orders to the Lankan batter.
But before that, Sri Lanka were wobbling at 83 for two at lunch.
Resuming from 265 for eight, Dinusha, who was overnight 85, compiled his second hundred of the series.
But his brave knock did not help Sri Lanka avert the follow-on, getting bowled out for 290, a mere 13 runs shy of the follow-on mark.
Dinusha raced to the 90s with a six, a slog sweep, and four, again whacked to the on-side, off Saransh Jain.
The right-hander reached the coveted three-figure with a thunderous pull off Prasidh, a moment he celebrated with pride and gusto.
But soon his overnight partner Lahiru Kumara departed, lofting Jain to Dhruv Jurel at covers. It was the 34-year-old’s maiden Test wicket.
Jurel restarted the outfield duty as Rishabh Pant, who copped a blow on his shoulder on the second day and stayed away from the field on Tuesday, returned to don the wicketkeeper’s gloves.
Dinusha, whose arrival as a Test batter might have warmed the Lankan hearts, did not last long, perishing to Jain.
The Madhya Pradesh spinner induced a false drive from Dinusha, which was pouched by KL Rahul at slip.
However, India had a moment of worry as Siraj hurt himself while diving for a catch.
The pacer had to go out to get medical attention but was back on the field after some time. But in the second session he bowled with a shorter run-up, and Pant often stayed up to the wicket.