Sri Lanka in a strong position after Karunaratne and Chandimal shine on Day 3 against New Zealand

Sri Lanka in Strong Position on Day Three of Test Against New Zealand

In a thrilling day of Test cricket, Sri Lanka put themselves in a good position against New Zealand on the third day of the opening Test in Galle. Despite losing some momentum towards the end of the day, Sri Lanka finished at 237-4 at stumps, with Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal leading the charge with half-centuries.

Karunaratne scored 83 runs, while Chandimal made 61 as the duo put on a 147-run partnership that flattened the Black Caps. However, their dismissals left the game delicately poised with Sri Lanka holding a 202-run lead.

Experienced players Angelo Mathews and captain Dhananjaya de Silva were at the crease at the end of the day and will look to extend Sri Lanka’s lead when play resumes on Sunday.

Saturday will be a rest day due to the presidential election in Sri Lanka, marking the first time a Test match has accommodated such a break since 2008.

New Zealand skipper Tim Southee produced a spectacular catch to dismiss Pathum Nissanka early on, but the tourists struggled for breakthroughs as the day progressed on a deteriorating track. Spinner Ajaz Patel and speedster William O’Rourke managed to pick up crucial wickets to bring New Zealand back into the game.

In their first innings, New Zealand added only 85 runs for a lead of 35 before Sri Lanka’s spinners cleaned up the tail with the new ball. Tom Blundell and Daryl Mitchell were among the wickets to fall, with Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis doing the damage for Sri Lanka.

Glenn Phillips provided some late resistance for New Zealand, scoring an unbeaten 49 from 48 balls, but Ramesh Mendis eventually bowled out the last man O’Rourke to finish with 3-101.

The stage is set for an exciting fourth day of play as both teams look to gain the upper hand in what promises to be a closely contested Test match.