India vs Sri Lanka 2017, 3rd Test Day 3: 5 things we learnt from the day
Despite Sri Lanka enjoying their best day of the series, they remained 180 runs behind India's first innings total.
On a compelling day's play, least marred by the smog-controversy, Sri Lanka's most experienced batsmen, Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal smashed hundreds and their 181-run stand gave Sri Lanka a shot at getting close to India's total.
But once the pair were separated, the lower middle-order fell apart quickly. Chandimal, as has often been the case, stood firm at one end and remained unbeaten on 147 with Lakshan Sandakan, the last man, for company. Here are the main takeaways from the game:
#5 Angelo Mathews sheds poor form to crack first ton in two years
Much of day two's smog issue was tucked into the background as Angelo Mathews, finding some of his old mojo back, strung together a crucial partnership with Dinesh Chandimal to take Sri Lanka to safety. The visitors sorely needed their senior men to step up and Mathews rightly showed the way.
A striking aspect of Mathews' innings was how composed and stable he appeared in strife. That kind of attitude, reminiscent of the old Mathews, had been absent in his gameplay in the past few years. In fact, the hundred is the Sri Lankan middle-order batsman's first in two years in Test cricket.