India reduce Sri Lanka to 67-3, eye historic Test series win on Lankan soil

An eventful day of Test

Bad light brought curtains down on Day 4 of the final Test match between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo where the hosts still need 319 runs to win with only seven wickets in hand. India were bowled out for 274 runs in their second innings, Ravichandran Ashwin was the highest scorer with 58 runs for the visitors and Dhammika Prasad and Nuwan Pradeep picked 4 wickets each for Sri Lanka.

India were 21 for the loss of three wickets when they started the day, skipper Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were on the crease. Sri Lanka pacers were on the attack as they were getting the support needed by the pitch.

The two batsmen did well to survive the first 90 mins and then soon started to take risks on the move. The lead going up was alarming the hosts and the desperation for the wicket kept rising.

Kohli was the first to depart, edging Pradeep's delivery to first slip. He made 21 runs off 63 balls. Stuart Binny came on to bat next.

Rohit and Binny got along well as they took the lead past 200 and looked in total control at one stage. Rohit reached his fifty and fell soon after that as he top edged a pull and was caught at the long leg boundary.

It was a successful morning session for India as they scored 111/2 and extended the lead to 243. Binny missed his fifty by just one run as he departed next and India were 160 for 6.

Amit Mishra got promoted after scoring an important 50 in the first innings. Naman Ojha fought hard for his 35 runs but gave away his wicket for the second time in the match.

Then came Ashwin and scored his fifty before India got restricted at 274 runs. Towards the end of India's innings, there was a little drama between Prasad and Ishant Sharma which ended only after the on-field umpires intervened.

India have been bowled out and Sri Lanka needed 386 runs to win the final Test.

Ishant respond in style, getting Sri Lankan opener Upul Tharanga in the very first over of the match. India were off to a flyer. Umesh Yadav got rid of the number three Dimuth Karunaratne in the fourth over and Sri Lanka were 2 for 2.

The tall and lanky Ishant didn't stop there itself, he dismissed the first match hero Dinesh Chandimal who was playing an aggressive form of cricket from the start. By the end of the day when the umpires called stumps due to bad lights, the hosts were down by three wickets with 67 runs on the board. They need another 319 to win on the final day.