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India were desperately struggling to save the series deciding third and final Test at 161 for 5, just managing to wipe out the deficit in their second innings against Sri Lanka [Images] on the third day in Colombo on Sunday.

With half of their batsmen back in the pavilion, Indians managed only a 14-run lead, thanks to Sri Lankan bowlers who put the visitors in a bind in the final session.

Rahul Dravid [Images] was batting on 46 and VVS Laxman was unbeaten on 17 after Virender Sehwag [Images] (34) and Gautam Gambhir [Images] (26) put on 62 runs for the opening wicket.

Sehwag, tearing apart the bowlers during his brief stay, cut a good length ball off pacer Dhammika Prasad from outside the off stump into the waiting hands of Thilan Samaraweera at gully. His knock included seven hits to the boundary.

Gambhir was the next to go, clean bowled by Prasad for 26. The ball landed short of length and moved outside off stump and Gambhir went for the pull and got a inside edge to his stumps.

Indians, with three players on the injury list, had started on a positive note after the Sri Lankan tail-enders frustrated the bowlers and helped put up a 147 run first innings lead.

Sri Lanka were finally bowled out for 396 about one hour after lunch with Ajantha Mendia being the last to go LBW to Anil Kumble [Images] for 17. 

Earlier, Harbhajan Singh [Images], who took three wickets in the innings, bowled a doosra which sucked Dhammika Prasad enabling Parthiv Patel to remove the bails.

 India began well with Gambhir pulling a Chaminda Vaas [Images] delivery to the wide mid-wicket and Sehwag then followed it hitting Prasad to another boundary in the same over. 

The right-handed Delhi [Images] batsmen then dangerously top-edged a Prasad delivery to the third-man boundary.

Muttiah Muralitharan [Images] was welcomed by Gambhir with a cracking shot past the bowler for a four.

But after the openers returned early, a desperate Rahul Dravid, who is already struggling to find form, and Sourav Ganguly [Images] tried to resurrect Indian innings.

Ganguly, who survived a chance at first slip off Murali, when Mahela Jayawardene [Images] failed to latch on to it, decided to swat the next delivery over the long off boundary for six.

Mendis and Murali were trying everything around from the wicket which according to experts was expected to turn more from the fourth day onwards.

Murali's quicker, flatter off-break on the middle and leg kept both batsmen on tight leash. Mendis was skidding the odd ones around the leg stump that could become a challenge as the day progresses on Monday.

Ganguly (18) failed to connect a Murali deliver as it landed on the middle stump and straightened. The West Bengal batsman unsuccessfully sought an umpire review. Parthiv Patel (1) fell to Mendis.

Sachin Tendulkar [Images] (14) fans got to see a bit of his perfection as he swept Murali on the leg side boundary. He, however, went soon declared leg before off Mendis.

Dravid managed to stay on along with the injured Laxman who was assisted by runner.

Earlier, the rare bright sun shine took its toll on the Indian bowlers who were already being deprived of quick wickets by the lower order Sri Lankan batsman.

The hosts did well to opt for quick singles whenever the boundaries were getting hard to come by.

It was a relief for the Indians to see the overnight centurian and Sri Lankan vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara return to pavilion as he edged a turning delivery from Kumble to the wicket keeper Parthiv Patel about 20 minutes before lunch.

The 424 minute 144 runs by Sangakkara included 14 hits to the boundaries.

Kumble delayed the second new ball in the absence of the injured Ishant Sharma when play began this morning.

Though the turbanator managed to keep Prasanna Jayawardene and Sangakkara guessing at times with his odd ones, they by and large negotiated him without any major glitches.

As many as 49 runs were added in the first hour as Sri Lanka moved to the 300 mark in the 107th over.

Ganguly was hit for two boundaries off his first over after he shared the new ball with Zaheer Khan [Images].

After driving him to the mid-off, Jayawardene dispatched Ganguly past the backward of point boundary.

All that the depleted pace attack could do was to strive to restrict the Sri Lankan batsmen from getting away with a huge score.

Sangakkara's cracking square cut of Zaheer Khan raced to the boundary was received with thunderous applause from the spectators.