Sri Lankan spinners scripted a sensational turnaround to keep the game yet to be determined toward the finish of the third day in Galle. Ramesh Mendis packed away six wickets to hold West Indies to 253 preceding the hosts shut the day 46 for 2, to trail by only 3 runs at Stumps.

For near one and a half meetings, it appeared to be West Indies will bat Sri Lanka out of the challenge. In the wake of scoring only two runs in the initial 26 conveyances, Kraigg Brathwaite and Nkrumah Bonner got comfortable for a consistent 75-run stand. Brathwaite struck the initial limit of the day – in the 35th over against Lasith Embuldeniya – and Bonner followed it up with one in the following over against Praveen Jayawickrama to get things moving. Brathwaite was considerably more certain in the 37th as he took on Embuldeniya and packed away two back to back fours to come down on the spinner.

Between overs 35 and 39, West Indies got six limits to get going. The pair raised the 100 in the 43rd over and Brathwaite got his 23rd Test 50 years in the 47th off 135 balls. Sri Lanka at long last dealt with a leap forward with under 15 minutes left in the meeting when Bonner was caught in front by Ramesh Mendis. The player tested the call and lost the survey too as Sri Lanka figured out how to break the compromising stand.

In the initial hour of the subsequent meeting, Sri Lanka figured out how to get the large wicket of Brathwaite as Lasith Embuldeniya bowled the West Indies skipper. West Indies were 166 for 3 at that stage and before long slipped to 197 for 7 kindness Mendis. In four overs, Mendis broke West Indies’ opposition. He struck in the first over after drinks as he eliminated Roston Chase for 10. Shai Hope was caught in front in Mendis’ next over as the guests before long slipped to 191 for 5.

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Mendis then, at that point, followed it up with twin strikes in the 87th over – eliminating Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva in back to back conveyances – before Kyle Mayers kept out the full go-around ball. Kemar Roach was dropped by Dinesh Chandimal however fell two balls later to Praveen Jayawickrama yet by then West Indies had taken the principal innings lead.

Veerasammy Permaul and Kyle Mayers baffled the hosts a touch before Tea and aided the side start to lead the pack to 31. Their inevitable 38-run stand was instrumental in West Indies stowing a convenient lead of 49 as Mendis, Jayawickrama and Embuldeniya picked every one of the ten wickets to fall.

Sri Lanka then, at that point, experienced a self-caused twisted as Dimuth Karunaratne was run-out in the second over for 6. Oshada Fernando and Pathum Nissanka scored 32 for the second wicket before one more run-out saw the previous stroll back to the changing area. Charith Asalanka and Nissanka saw off the day to guarantee no more harm was done and the game kept on remaining yet to be determined.

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Brief scores : Sri Lanka 204 & 46/2 trail West Indies 253 (Kraigg Brathwaite 72; Ramesh Mendis 6-70) by 3 runs.