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Sri Lanka 45-2 in 2nd innings, lead India by 34

Part-time India spinner Virender Sehwag brought the third test to life with two late wickets to leave Sri Lanka struggling at 45 for two at the close on the third day on Thursday.

Sri Lanka led by 34 runs lead after losing the wickets of Tharanga Paranavitana and Tillakaratne Dilshan in 13 balls to give India hope of levelling the series.

Part-time spinner Virender Sehwag snared both wickets after topscoring with 109 in India’s total of 436.

Sri Lanka quickly overcame the 11-run first-innings deficit, but by stumps openers Tharanga Paranavitana and Tillakaratne Dilshan were out and the team was again relying on another big innings from captain Kumar Sangakkara to secure a series victory.

Sangakkara was 12 not out, becoming the fastest to reach 8,000 runs in his 91^st test, and nightwatchman Suraj Randiv was yet to score on a P. Sara Oval pitch helping the spinners with sharp turn and bounce.

Paranavitana failed early again when he made 16 before edging Sehwag to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, then Murali Vijay snapped up a bat-pad catch from Dilshan for 13 off Sehwag to leave Sri Lanka 39-2.

India started the day on 180-2, and overhauled Sri Lanka’s first innings of 425 in impressive fashion.

Sachin Tendulkar, playing a world record 169^th test, only added one to his overnight score and was out for 41, giving seamer Lasith Malinga his 100^th test wicket.

Malinga became only the third Sri Lankan to reach the milestone, joining illustrious former teammates Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Chaminda Vaas (355).

Tendulkar and Sehwag shared 91 for the third wicket. Sehwag, 97 overnight, completed his 21^st test century off 90 balls, including 18 boundaries.

But on 109 he gave an easy catch to Chanaka Welegedara at mid-off from a delivery by Suraj Randiv, leaving India 199-4.

VVS Laxman and Suresh Raina then compiled a vital 105-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

The pair took India to lunch on 282-4 and both reached their half centuries afterwards, leading their team past 300.

On 56, Laxman edged spinner Ajantha Mendis to Mahela Jayawardene, and Raina followed soon after when he softly drove Mendis straight to extra cover fielder Sangakkara to depart for 62.

Captain Dhoni became Malinga’s third wicket for 15 at 350-7, but tailenders Abhimanyu Mithun and Amit Mishra kept India’s chase going with a stand that frustrated Sri Lanka.

The 20-year-old Mithun, playing his third test, made 46 off 77 balls, while Mishra, playing his first test of the series, added a 66-ball 40.

Mithun’s and Mishra’s 64-run partnership for the eighth wicket helped lift India to the brink of Sri Lanka’s total.

Randiv dismissed both and ended the innings with Ishant Sharma’s wicket for 8 to finish with 4-80.

Malinga took 3-119 and Mendis 2-109, both off 30 overs each.

India, trailing 1-0 in the three-test series after losing the first in Galle, must win to avoid a third series loss in Sri Lanka since 2001.

India last won a test series in Sri Lanka in 1993 under Mohammad Azharuddin.