So we lose about an hour of the day's play because it was supposed to go on till 6.13pm. The third day saw 80.4 overs, six wickets and 257 runs, which leaves Sri Lanka still as many as 238 runs behind. In other words, another day that belonged to India here.

No doubt Sri Lanka are lagging behind but for the long run they might be chuffed about the promise shown by Pasindu Sooriyabandara, whose 80 followed his duck on debut and led the way for the hosts in the morning. He plays the ball late, looks comfortable against both pace and spin, and handled the short balls from India's quicks quite well. At the end of the day, it was Sonal Dinusha with the tail again. He's closing in on a second century in two Tests and already has his third 50-plus score in a row. It might make the management think if he should bat higher in the order.

For India, they might be a tad disappointed that they couldn't wipe out the tail at the end of the day, taking just one wicket in the last 38 overs. Siraj and Prasidh resorted to shor-ball plans once the swing and seam movement died, and there wasn't much of a threat from the spinners. Debutant Saransh Jain bowled an impressive first spell with flight and drift but his second hardly saw any signs questions he asked the SL batters. Jadeja and Suthar, meanwhile, mostly bowled flat and on the stumps. Just when it looked like the second new ball. would give India another wicket, the rain ended the day early again.

With that, we wrap things up here and we'll meet again tomorrow morning at 9.45am Sri Lanka and India time, with hopes of getting the full 98 overs. Sri Lanka still need 39 runs to avoid the follow-on, but with 80 overs bowled today I doubt India will bowl again, if Sri Lanka can't make it to 304. It's time to say goodbye from me, Vishal Dikshit, and Shashwat.

Kapil Baldawa : "Quite disappointed with the likes of Dhananjay De Silva amd Dickwella, they should have shown more restraint and SL would have been 4/5 down and could have been in much better position "

Mathi: "Start the match at 8 a.m itself...." And have breakfast break at 10am?

5.02pm And here comes the evening rain again in Colombo. the ground staff rushes out with the massive blue covers. The good news is it's not heavy rain, going by the pace at which the players go off. The pitch, some parts of the square and the run ups are covered, not the whole ground. But it's dangerously overcast and dark already. Five minutes later, some more covers come on to protect the deep.

Amjad: "How much more for followonWill India bat again " Sri Lanka need to get to 304, so another 39 runs