COLOMBO: Indian bowlers flicked on their beast mode to reduce Sri Lanka to 216 for seven at tea on the third day, firming up the grip around the second and final Test here on Tuesday.
Sonal Dinusha (52) and Keshara Nuwantha (13) were batting at the break, and the hosts now trail by 287 runs.
In the pre-lunch session, Sri Lanka were competitive despite losing two wickets as they had added 122 runs.
But in the middle passage, the visiting bowlers took command of the proceedings, scalping three wickets and conceded just 86 runs.
India inflicted an early jolt on Sri Lanka as Manav Suthar found his correct length. Suthar forced Dhananjaya de Silva to edge one to KL Rahul, who held onto the catch in the second attempt at first slip.
From that point, there was no respite for the Lankan batters.
But the body blow was the dismissal of Pasindu Sooriyabandara (80), who batted with a rare mix of patience and elegance.
Ravindra Jadeja, who made only a cameo appearance in the opening session of the day, bowled one close to Sooriyabandara's body, and the batter's effort to guide the ball down point saw his stumps getting rearranged.
Two runs later, Mohammad Siraj accounted for Niroshan Dickwella with a rather innocuous down the leg delivery, which the Lankan batter edged to Dhruv Jurel.
Dinusha, who fetched his fifty in 84 balls, and Nuwantha saw off the rest of the play, but the Lankans are still standing knee deep in a marsh.
However, their situation was far better in the morning segment, courtesy a good 87-run alliance between Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis.
Starting from 8 for two, the home side showed better spirit in the opening passage of the day, which was also spiced up by verbal exchanges between Sarfaraz Khan, substituting for Rishabh Pant, Siraj and the Lankan batters.
Before the Lankans gained some foothold, India began the day brightly, dismissing overnight batter Kamil Mishara (19).
Mishara failed to deal with a viciously rising delivery from Prasidh Krishna, fending it to stumper Jurel.
But Sooriyabandara and Mendis thwarted Indians' hopes of making further inroads into the Lankan top order for nearly two hours.
They tackled the bowlers with little nerves, and hardly allowed two spinners Suthar and debutant Jain to settle down.
The off-spinner Jain procured some bounce and turn but the Lankan duo handled that interrogation of their judgement rather comfortably.
Sooriyabandara, who was playing his second Test, was the lead act of that third wicket alliance.
The elegant right-hander reached his maiden Test fifty in 76 balls.
Mendis, on the other hand, smashed Suthar for a six over mid-wicket to announce his intentions.
But Prasidh, who bowled two lively spells, broke the blooming alliance with another snorter aimed at the throat of Mendis, which he pulled straight into the hands of Jadeja at mid-wicket.
India also fetched the stalled momentum back with that wicket, and the hostile spell of Prasidh.