Cheteshwar Pujara was the star for India with the bat, and the away side will hope the opener shepherds the tail nicely for a while on Day 3 to add a few more valuable runs in this Test match at the SSC in Colombo.
While one batsman after another failed to make enough of an impression, Pujara was impregnable at the other end, scoring a wonderfully-crafted hundred to make a real statement, after missing out in the first two Test matches of this series.
He might have struggled in England and Australia, but when it comes to sub-continental conditions, he is probably India's most reliable batsman, and had it not been for Pujara on Day 2, India would have slid for less than 200.
"It came in tough conditions," Pujara said of the hundred. "When I went in it reminded me of playing in South Africa where I had scored 153 on a tough wicket. I knew that if I played with soft hands, the ball would not carry to the slips. Initially it was really important.
"It was one of the toughest wickets I have played on. Especially, when the ball was new, it felt like you can't play any shots and you can't get away. You just have to survive and keep defending and when you get a loose ball, you just convert it.
"But I was patient enough, I kept my calm and kept rotating the strike, which allowed me to settle down and then once I was in, on any wicket I think I can play the way I always do."
India finished Day 2 on 292/8, with Pujara unbeaten on 135 (277b, 13x4), while Ishant Sharma will be there on Day 3 morning to give him company, after a big century partnership between Pujara and Amit Mishra was finally broken by Sri Lanka. If there is one thing that Ishant will not do while batting, it is give his wicket away, which basically means Sri Lanka will have to earn their next wicket.
The man to do that looks likely to be Dhammika Prasad, the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers by a long way in this Test match. If Prasad gets that ball moving early on Day 3 morning, India's innings could end in a hurry.
"We had seven of their wickets for 180, then they had that 100-run stand," Prasad, who has taken four wickets so far in this innings, said. "We were in the ascendancy, but with the century stand we went down a little bit. But I think we can get the remaining wickets cheaply and regain a good position."
Once that India innings does finish, though, it will be interesting to see how the Sri Lanka batsmen fare in the post-Kumar Sangakkara era.
Where to Watch Live
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Sri Lanka vs India Day 3 3rd Test match is scheduled for a 9.45 am local time (9.45 am IST, 5.15 am BST, 12.15 am ET) start. Sony Six [English] and Sony Kix [Hindi] will show Day 3 of the Test match live in India, while the live streaming option is available on Livsports.
Audience in the US can watch India vs Sri Lanka live on Willow TV, with the live stream option on Willow Online.
Viewers in Sri Lanka, and the rest of the Indian subcontinent, can catch the match action of the India vs Sri Lanka Test match on Sony Six.
