India in SL

India are all set to set a challenging target for Sri Lanka on day four. Murali and Mendis may have other plans though.

STUMPS

And it's official. That is the end of the day's play. Much action and a lot of drama on day three of a Test match that promises to go down to the wire. India put up 79 runs for the loss of three wickets, the last of Rahul Dravid is sure to cause a debate over how long it should take the fielding captain to ask for a review. Well, I'll leave you to debate over it. And do mail us what you think about it at streettalk@espnstar.com

See you on Sunday. Till then, Goodbye!

Bad light stops play

Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid depart in successive overs. Ganguly and Laxman have a job to finish, but the sun is now playing hide and seek. Nine more overs left in the day. We'll bring you the official word as soon as we hear of it.

57th Over: Ganguly and Laxman are the two new batsmen at the crease. Mendis continues to the southpaw. He's not happy with the light and has a chat with the umpire. Now the two umpires have a chat and offer the light to the Indians and they take it. Another couple of deliveries left, but out the trudge. India are 200 for four - the lead is 237.

56th Over: WICKET! Murali nudges Dravid on the pad. The umpire says not out! Jaywardene walks up to the umpire to debate and finally asks for a review. The third umpire takes eternity, while the replays show it to be a marginal call. Dravid waits in anticipation. And here's the decision - OUT! Dravid can't believe it, he is thoroughly disappointed. He goes for 44. India are 200 for four.

55th Over: WICKET!Vaas continues to bowl outside the off stump and wins the patience game. Tendulkar slashes and Jayawardene takes the catch at first slip, he goes for 31. Ganguly to face the last delivery of the over. India are 200 for three.

50th Over: The run rate has picked up again since Dravid and Tendulkar have come together. FOUR! Dravid is growing in confidenc with every passing delivery, Muarli can only stand and stare. He's moved into the 40s. India are 190 for two. The lead is now 227.

41st Over: Mendis continues. The scoring has dried up in the last 10 overs, just 18 runs in that period. WICKET! Bowled'em, Gambhir misreads it, leaves it and the ball clips the bail. Mendis has got the breakthrough. Gambhir goes for 74, the partnership with Dravid was worth 54 runs. Tendulkar is the next man in. India are 144 for two.

31st Over: Mendis to bowl the first over of the final session. FOUR! Gambhir takes him on. Dravid is also looking more confident now. He's picking the deliveries. Five runs off the over. India are 126 for one.

TEA

India continue to dominate day three. After picking up five wickets in the first session, India have added 121 runs for the loss of one wicket in the second session. The 37-run first innings lead gives them a total lead of 158 runs. Bhajji did all the damage in the final session of play on Friday. What will happen today? Join us 1515 IST to keep a track of all the action. As it happens!

30th Over: Muralitharan to bowl the last over before tea. Just one off the over. India are 121 for one and that's tea.

26th Over: Murali comes back on to bowl, so it's Mendis and Murali from either ends now. FOUR! Gambhir gets that away and with it brings up another classy fifty. He would really hope to convert this into a ton. Dravid on the other side is picking runs off the loose deliveries coming his way. India are 109 for one.

23rd Over: Mendis to Gambhir. FOUR! Gambhir charges down the track and smacks him to the leg side fence. Rapped on the pads, loud appeal, turned down. The Lankans ask for the review and not given and rightly so. The ball would have missed the fifth stump. India are 98 for one.

20th Over: WICKET! Vaas to Sehwag, driven and Dilshan takes a cracker of a catch at covers. He lands, slips and seems to have hurt his ankle. But this is the end of the nemesis. Sehwag goes and Sri Lanka are celebrating. Rahul Dravid walks out in to the middle. And it's a wicket maiden. India are 90 for one.

19th Over: Mendis continues as Murali is rested. FOUR! That's crashed to the point boundary. Another single and that's his 14th Test fifty. It's come off 49 balls with six boundaries and a six. India are 90 without loss.

17th Over: Finally, Ajantha Mendis is brought on. Sehwag picks a single, leg byes! Gambhir milks a couple. Simple basics of the game being followed. These two openers are turning it on like the legendary Greenidge and Haynes. Nudges it for another single - four off four balls. A single to end the over and five have come off it. India are 82 without loss.

11th Over: Murali comes over from the other end. Kulasekara bowled an over in the middle to allow him to change ends. A single by Sehwag brings up the fifty partnership for the opening wicket. This has been a great start by the Indian batsmen. No sight of Mendis as yet. India are 52 without loss.

6th Over: Muralitharan comes on to bowl. Sehwag milks a couple. FOUR! Slog sweep and the result is a boundary. Sehwag's in the groove. India are 24 without loss.

2nd Over: Nuwan Kulasekara will share the new ball. How long befor the spinners come on. FOUR! First ball and Sehwag whips it to the leg for a boundary. Sehwag gets off the mark in style. A single brings Gambhir on strike. India are five without loss.

INDIA, 2ND INNINGS, 1ST OVER: Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwahg to start off India's innings with a handy 37-run lead. Vaas will bowl to Gambhir. Sends down a maiden.

LUNCH

Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh picked up nine wickets between themselves to spin Sri Lanka out for 292, helping India attain a 37-run lead. Jayawardene put up a spirited fight, but once he fell to Kumble, the tail folded up in no time. India have a great chance to force a victory. It's over to Sehwag and company now to set a target. Oh boy! Have we got a game on our hands or what!

94th Over: WICKET! Murali hoicks Bhajji. It's high but not handsome enough and Sourav Ganguly takes a brilliant catch. That is the end of the Sri Lankan innings. All out for 292 and India have a lead of 37 runs. Invaluable lead! Game on, big time!

93rd Over: Not taking the new ball has paid off for Team India. WICKET! Kumble sends back Jayawardene. An edge and Karthik takes it on a second attempt. He goes for 86. Ajantha Mendis is the new batsman. WICKET! The wrong'un and Mendis is trapped plumb in front of the wicket. Murali is the last man in. Sri Lanka are now 291 for nine. India would like to wrap it up before lunch.

86th Over: Zaheer Khan to bowl with the old ball. Jaywardene and Kulasekara are stringing an important partnership here. Just three off it. Sri Lanka are 271 for seven.

76th Over: WICKET! And Kumble's picked up his first wicket of the series. New man Vaas is caught by Bhajji at short cover. Nuwan Kulasekara is the next man in.

75th Over: WICKET! Prasanna Jayawardene edges and VVS Laxman catches it at backward short leg. That's a five-wicket haul for Harbhajan - the 22nd time he has achieved it in Tests. . FOUR! Skipper Jaywardene's still fighting on. Sri Lanka are 255 for six.

67th Over: Harbhajan to skipper Jayawardene, single taken and that's his fifty. He's put up a gritty show and the Sri Lankan dressing room will want him to go on to play a long innings. Sri Lanka are 230 for five. They trail India exactly by 99 runs.

63rd Over: Harbhajan continues from the other end. Four runs off the over. Sri Lanka are 219 for five.

SRI LANKA, DAY THREE, 62ND OVER: Anil Kumble to start the proceedings and Prasanna Jayawardene will take first strike. Prasanna edges a ball that turned square and Dravid takes a low catch at first slip. He claims it, the umpires refer it to the third umpire and he rules not out. Benefit of doubt goes to the batsman. It was too close to the ground it seems. And it's a maiden over.

Pre-Match

Hello and welcome to our coverage of day three of the Galle Test. I am Ranabir Majumdar and I will take you through the day's proceedings.

Sri Lanka start from their overnight score of 215 for five with Jayawardene senior on 46 and Jayawardene junior on five. The match is still very open. The pitch has crumbled further and batting will become more difficult. That means Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble have more than just a slight chance to break into the Lankan tail within the first half hour of play. Don't go anywhere. This will be a cracker of a match.