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Close - Sri Lanka 323 for 5 (M Jayawardene 95*, H Tillekeratne 0*) lead India by 89 runs It was a joyless day for India, made worse by the inability to latch onto opportunities that came their way. Marvan Atapattu (108) and Mahela Jayawardene (95*) each played a sublime innings and Sri Lanka ended the day 89 runs ahead and very much in the driving seat.

Together, Jayawardene and Atapattu represented all that is lovely about cricket in the sub-continent. Jayawardene, adventurous, effervescent and effortless; Atapattu classically correct but no less stylish. They came together with the score on 119, and were separated on 252. Their runs came at almost four an over; it could be the partnership that wins the series for Sri Lanka. India did themselves no favours when they failed to take advantage of two chances before lunch. Sameer Dighe fumbled an attempt to stump Kumar Sangakkara after Sairaj Bahutule had beaten his heave; more crucially, Atapattu was allowed to make his ground despite being stranded halfway down the pitch when substitute Dinesh Mongia completely botched his throw to the bowler's end. Atapattu was on 23 at the time.

Both batsmen resumed after the break with a series of exquisite boundaries. Sangakkara moved to 47 before Prasad tempted him into a flash at a delivery that wasn't wide enough and Hemang Badani coolly pocketed a sharp chance at second slip.

That brought in Jayawardene, and he too was rewarded with an early life. He was on 24 when Bahutule drew a faint top-edge that Dighe failed to hold. The 133-run third-wicket partnership was finally broken an hour after tea when Harbhajan Singh had Atapattu caught at forward short leg for 108. The ball had come off only pad, but India were due some luck after the decision against Sourav Ganguly by umpire Orchard on the first day. That dismissal brought about another mini-flood of runs. Russel Arnold took advantage of the second new ball and cut his way to 31 off only 39 balls. The partnership had passed 50 when Prasad squeezed one through Arnold's defence for his third wicket.

Sri Lanka sent out Dulip Liyanage as nightwatchman, but Harbhajan put paid to the plan with some much-needed assistance from Dighe. Liyanage drove at a straighter and Dighe collected a good, low catch. It led to some tense moments just before close: Jayawardene top-edged a pull that just eluded square leg, and the out-of-sorts Hashan Tillekeratne survived a loud appeal for caught behind off Ganguly.

The day had belonged to Sri Lanka but India hardly helped their own cause by fielding indifferently and bowling ineffectively. After all that Muttiah Muralitharan managed the first afternoon, Ganguly would have expected at least glimmers of potency from Harbhajan Singh. Instead, he got 28 overs of predictable and uninspired offbreaks. Zaheer Khan, his next-biggest weapon, began the day with a fiery spell and ended it with another one using the second new ball, but in between served up half-volleys that the batsmen feasted on. Prasad bowled best, and was the most successful with three wickets, but will need to repeat his lower-order rout at Kandy if India are to fight their way back into the match.

Rahul Bhattacharya is a staff writer with Wisden.com in India.

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