Colombo, Aug 3 (IANS) Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara scored 75 as the hosts reached 194 for three at tea on the opening day of the third cricket Test against India here Tuesday.
Sri Lanka added 92 runs in the session and lost one wicket.
Sangakkara, who got a life earlier in the innings, played 114 balls and struck five boundaries and two sixes before left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha dismissed him.
At tea, Mahela Jayawardene was batting on 39 and Thilan Samaraweera on 18.
Earlier, Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch that provided assistance to seamers.
Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma got the first wicket in the fourth over as he had Tharanga Paranavitana (8) caught behind by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Dilshan and Sangakkara put on 87 runs for the second wicket.
Sangakkara was lucky to be dropped by Suresh Raina, who came in the way of second slip V.V.S.Laxman, off pacer Abhimanyu Mithun.
Sachin Tendulkar became the most capped player in Test cricket, surpassing Australian Steve Waugh’s record of 168 Tests.
India are without opener Gautam Gambhir and leading spin bowler Harbhajan Singh due to injuries. Raina, who scored a century on debut in the second Test, retained his place in the side at the expense of Yuvraj Singh.
Murali Vijay has replaced Gambhir while leg spinner Amit Mishra has taken Harbhajan’s place.
For Sri Lanka, pace bowler Lasith Malinga, who missed the second Test because of injury, replaced Dilhara Fernando. Left arm pacer Chanaka Welegedera came in place of Dammika Parasad.
