1st Test: India tighten grip with 498-run lead

Fifties from captain Virat Kohli and Abhinav Mukund helped India stretch their second innings lead to 498 at stumps on Day 3 of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Friday. At the close of play, India were 189/3 with Kohli recording his first fifty-plus score in eight innings and unbeaten on 76 while Mukund was out on what turned out to be the last ball of the day for 81.

Sri Lanka, again, tasted early success having removed both the first-innings centurions Shikhar Dhawan (14) and Cheteshwar Pujara (15) cheaply. Dhawan was caught at point while Pujara must have been frustrated at himself and not just because he flicked a leg stump delivery to the leg gully fielder but also at the fact that no sooner he was dismissed, the rain arrived and the play was stopped and an early tea was taken.

Brief Scores: India 600 and 189/3 (Abhinav Mukund 81, Virat Kohli 76*; Danushka Gunathilaka 1/15) lead Sri Lanka 291 (Dilruwan Perera 92*, Angelo Mathews 83; Ravindra Jadeja 3/67) by 498 runs