The much-anticipated backlash took a while coming on Saturday, the early untidiness allowing Sri Lanka to creep up to within seven runs of India's paltry first innings total of 172 with six wickets in hand. The Indians, adding 98 runs to their overnight 74 for five while losing the remaining five wickets, failed to find the early intensity the situation demanded on a murky afternoon of the rain-hit first Test. The opening bowlers took time to hit the right lengths on a wicket that still had something for the seamers, a regulation catch went down and the fielding showed a shoddy side on more occasions than the hosts would have liked.

India pacer Umesh Yadav claimed the last two wickets of the day