Spinner Ajantha Mendis claimed 5-56 to help Sri Lanka bowl India out for 249 on the first day of the third Test on Friday.

India hit back with an early wicket, as Ishant Sharma bowled Malinda Warnapura (8), before Sri Lanka closed on 14 for one with Michael Vandort on three and nightwatchman Chaminda Vaas on nought.

Mendis extended his wicket tally in his first series to 23 as India failed to take any advantage from winning the toss on a good batting pitch.

However, the early damage was done by debutant pace bowler Dammika Prasad, who recovered from a nervous start with the new ball to dismiss Virender Sehwag (21), Rahul Dravid (10) and Sachin Tendulkar (six) in the first session.

Match scheduled to begin at 10:15 local time (04:45 GMT).

India have decided to drop wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik for the series deciding third and final Test Match against the Sri Lankans that starts on Friday at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo.

Karthik, whose glove work and batting have been poor in the series, will be replaced by Parthiv Patel (23), who plays his 20th Test Match for his country.

Similarly the Sri Lankans also will make just one change with medium-pacer Nuwan Kulasekara replaced by either left-armer Thilan Tushara Mirando or the uncapped Dhammika Prasad, a decision they have left for the morning of the Test Match.

Give a big hand to India team to take the revenge on Srilanka

India lost three second-innings wickets in the evening session but will feel they hold the upper hand having established a 237-run lead over Sri Lanka by stumps on the third day of the second Test in Galle.

Bad light brought a premature close to play on Saturday with the tourists 200 for four, having cut through the Sri Lanka tail in the morning session to establish a 37-run first-innings advantage.

Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman – both yet to get off the mark – will look to build on India’s cushion on Sunday morning after finding themselves at the crease thanks to the late departures of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

Malinda Warnapura, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera all hit centuries as Sri Lanka took a stranglehold on the first Test against India.

Warnapura made 115, Jayawardene struck a fine 136 and Thilan Samaraweera was not out on 111 as the Sri Lankans closed the second day on 422 for four.Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma picked up a wicket each, but they were few and far between as the hosts piled on the runs. India’s bowlers struggled throughout for consistent line and length and rarely put the opposition under any pressure.

It was not the first time the umpire referral system, being trialled in this series, was used.

India asked for a review of a lbw decision during the morning session, making it the first time the system was put to use. Harbhajan struck Warnapura on the pads with a delivery that pitched on middle stump and seemed to be going down leg. The appeal was turned down by referee Mark Benson, with Warnapura on 86, but Kumble challenged the decision and the umpire referred it to third umpire Rudi Koertzen, who endorsed Benson’s not out ruling.

Another leg before decision against Dilshan was referred to Koertzen, who again ruled in favour of the batsman after watching replays.

That means India have only one challenge left, while Sri Lanka have all three intact.

Michael Vaughan is hoping a week of intensive practice allows him to end a personal run Deficiency in the crucial third Test against South Africa.

England’s performance has prompted them to make two changes for this week’s third match at Edgbaston with Paul Collingwood being recalled to stiffen the batting and left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom replacing Nottinghamshire team-mate Stuart Broad.

Hopefully England will play a good match( touch wood ) in the third innings.

Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis shook the SSC pitch out of its slumber after the Sri Lankan batsmen given them a mountain of runs as a cushion, and the new-ball bowlers had done their bit in taking the shine off the ball. Once the spinners came on, the batsmen were either mesmerised or stunned — both, in rapid succession, in the case of Rahul Dravid — and when bad light stopped play on the third day, India were 242 adrift of the follow-on with only four wickets left.

Lets see how india will play today

Malinda Warnapura, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera all hit centuries as Sri Lanka took a stranglehold on the first Test against India.

Warnapura made 115, Jayawardene struck a fine 136 and Thilan Samaraweera was not out on 111 as the Sri Lankans closed the second day on 422 for four.Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma picked up a wicket each, but they were few and far between as the hosts piled on the runs. India’s bowlers struggled throughout for consistent line and length and rarely put the opposition under any pressure.

It was not the first time the umpire referral system, being trialled in this series, was used.

India asked for a review of a lbw decision during the morning session, making it the first time the system was put to use. Harbhajan struck Warnapura on the pads with a delivery that pitched on middle stump and seemed to be going down leg. The appeal was turned down by referee Mark Benson, with Warnapura on 86, but Kumble challenged the decision and the umpire referred it to third umpire Rudi Koertzen, who endorsed Benson’s not out ruling.

Another leg before decision against Dilshan was referred to Koertzen, who again ruled in favour of the batsman after watching replays.

That means India have only one challenge left, while Sri Lanka have all three intact.

India captured two early wickets before opener Malinda Warnapura lit up a gloomy day by cracking a spotless unbeaten half century to take Sri Lanka to 85 for two on a rain truncated opening day of the first Test on Wednesday.

Only 22 overs were possible during the day after play started about four hours late due to rain and soggy ground conditions at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground.

The left handed Warnapura cracked an unbeaten 50 to notch up his third Test half century as the hosts played cautiously on a day which saw the honours being more or less shared by the teams.

Electing to bat, the hosts lost opener Michael Vandort (3) and Kumar Sangakkara (12) cheaply but Warnapura held the innings together with a solid effort. (Reuters Photo).

Hope we will have 90 overs match tomorrow

Chennai Super Kings squad

MS Dhoni, VV Kadbe, P Amarnath, S Anirudha, R Ashwin, S Badrinath, L Balaji, N Einstein, SP Fleming, M Gony, ML Hayden, MEK Hussey, SB Jakati, Joginder Sharma, CK Kapugedera, AB Karthik, SS Kumar, JA Morkel, A Mukund, M Muralitharan, M Ntini, JDP Oram, PA Patel, SK Raina, S Vidyut

Rajasthan Royals squad

SK Warne, A Angle, SA Asnodkar, RA Jadeja, M Kaif, Kamran Akmal, S Khatri, T Kohli, DS Lehmann, PP More, M Morkel, Pankaj Singh, MM Patel, NK Patel, YK Pathan, M Rawat, AP Revandkar, D Salunkhe, JN Shah, GC Smith, Sohail Tanvir, SK Trivedi, SR Watson