STUMPS - DAY 1

India 329-6 (90 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Another good session for Sri Lanka after the tea break as they claimed three for 94 in 34 overs in the post-tea session.

India looked on course for another huge total after the openers had put on 188 runs before Sri Lanka fought back with regular wickets in the next two sessions.

Dhawan top scored with an attacking innings of 119 from 123 balls, while Rahul stroked 85 but their dismissals saw India lose the way.

Captain Virat Kohli scored a sedate 42, while Ashwin made 31 but the rest of the batsmen struggled.

Left-arm spinner Pushapkumara led Sri Lanka's fightback as he claimed three for 40, while chinaman spinner picked up two for 84.

Fernando picked up a wicket late in the day, that of Ashwin, to help Sri Lanka finish the day on a high.

STUMPS - DAY 1

India 329-6 (90 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Lahiru nearly strikes in the next over. He bowls a quick short ball to Saha, who looks to duck but it hits his gloves and goes over the slips for a four and then takes a single.

New batsman Hardik Pandya cautiously blocks the rest of the over with just one more over to go for stumps.

Fernando to bowl the final over of the day. Saha turns the second ball on the leg side for one before Hardik takes one off the fourth ball to get off the mark.

At stumps on Day 1, Sri Lanka have made a good comeback to restrict India to 329 for six in 90 overs.

India 322-6 (88 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Ashwin picks another single off Pushpakumara to take India to 297 for five in 80 overs but Sri Lanka are not taking the second new ball straightaway.

Ashwin picks a single off the first ball with the field well spread around. Saha drives Sandakan through the off-side for a couple and then sweeps the spinner fine for two more runs to take India past the 300-run mark, in the 81st over.

Sri Lanka take the second new ball at the start of the 84th over with left-arm spinner Pushpakumara continuing to bowl. He gets one to grip and turn but Ashwin does well to keep it out before he survives a close shout for LBW.

The left-arm spinner overpitches as Ashwin plays a nice drive through the covers for one.

Pace from the other end as Fernando comes back into the attack. The second ball is on the pads as Ashwin glances it fine for a four.

Two balls later, Sri Lanka appeal for leg before wicket against Ashwin but the umpire is not interested. The hosts take the DRS but turns out it was a big inside edge as they waste one of their two reviews.

The last ball is again on the pads as Ashwin clips it to fine leg for a couple.

A maiden over from Pushpakumara before Sri Lanka bring back Lahiru in place of Fernando, who just bowled one over with the second new ball.

He starts with a full toss which Ashwin drives to deep point and two balls later Saha hits another full toss to sweeper cover for one.

Ashwin gets the fifth ball through midwicket for two runs as he continues to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Change of ends for Fernando as he takes over from Pushpakumara to make it fast bowlers from both ends.

The move works as Fernando strikes with the wicket of Ashwin, who is brilliantly caught by wicketkeeper Dickwella. Ashwin played a handy innings of 31, before he got an edge as the wicketkeeper dived full length to take the catch is front of the first slip fielder.

India 296-5 (79 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Pushpakumara bowls a beauty, getting one to grip and turn as Ashwin is beaten all ends up. He cuts the fifth ball past point for two runs before defending the last ball.

In the next over, Kohli clips Sandakan on the leg side for a couple before taking one down to long-on and Ashwin retains strike with one from the last ball.

Ashwin using his feet well as he jumps down the track and clips Pushpakumara through midwicket for two runs and then takes one to long-on.

India have scored just 54 runs in 20 overs so far in the post-tea session, scoring at just around 2.7 runs per over.

With the field spread around, Ashwin drives Sandakan to long-off for one and Kohli steers the fifth ball through the vacant thirdman region for a couple.

Sandakan strikes with the big wicket of Kohli, who throws his bat at a wide delivery but gets an edge and is caught at slip. The Indian captain was not his fluent self and scored 42 from 84 balls, including just three fours.

New batsman Wriddhiman Saha is beaten first ball as he looks to defend. The Sri Lankans appeal for caught behind which is turned down before they take the DRS with the reviews to be topped up after the next over.

The decision stays with the on-field umpire's call with the UltraEdge showing that the ball missed the edge of the bat.

India 279-4 (73 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Kohli and Ashwin dealing in singles against the two spinners as they look to build a partnership and get the innings back on track.

Ashwin plays a nice cover drive against Sandakan for a couple of runs before he slaps the fourth ball past point for another couple.

Pacer Lahiru, who has been expensive so far, comes back. Ashwin and Kohli pick a single each as Sri Lanka manage to keep up the pressure with some disciplined bowling.

At the drinks break, India have reached 279 for four in 73 overs, with Kohli on 33 and Ashwin on eight.

India 264-4 (66 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Kohli breaks the shackles as he plays a beautiful cover drive for a four off Fernando, who not only overpitches but also offers some width.

Sandakan has a confident shout for LBW turned down against Rahane (13) as the ball came in and beat the frontfoot defensive push. Sri Lanka take the DRS review but the ball tracker shows that the ball was spinning too much and would have missed the stumps.

The next ball is short and Rahane has enough time to read the googly this time around as he pulls it through midwicket for a four.

He looks to sweep the last ball but misses and is lucky that the ball not on the stumps.

Spin from both ends as Pushapkumara comes into the attack. Kohli watchful against the veteran spinner as he blocks with caution before taking a single to long-off from the fourth delivery for the only run of the over.

Rahane's shaky knock finally ends with a poor shot against Pushpakumara. He plays all over a straight delivery from the left-arm spinner as he tries to whip it through the leg side but misses and is bowled for 17.

Sri Lanka have a good chance of bowling out India for under 400 with only the lower order to follow.

Kohli is batting on 27 and he will have to ensure he stays as long as possible. Ravichandran Ashwin has scored runs at No. 6 and he will need to stitch together a partnership with Kohli.

India 249-3 (60 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Chinaman sponner Sandakan starts off proceedings in the post-tea session. He starts with a short ball which Rahane hits through the off-side for a couple of runs. Two balls later, he drives an overpitched delivery through the covers for two more runs and then nudges the last ball fine on the leg side for the same result.

Pacer Fernando to bowl from the other end. The first ball is on the pads as Kohli flicks it square on the leg side for two runs. The third ball is in the slot as Kohli plays a cracking cover drive off the front foot for a boundary followed by three dot balls to end the over.

Rahane taps Sandakan on the off-side for one before Kohli defends the remaining five deliveries of the over.

Sri Lanka looking to bowl some tight overs and build the pressure by drying up the boundaries.

Rahane picks a single off the third ball before Kohli again is content to defend as India reach 249 for three in 60 overs.

TEA - DAY 1

India 235-3 (56 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

At tea on Day 1, India have reached 235 for three in 56 overs, with Kohli on 11 and Rahane on three.

A good comeback from Sri Lanka as they claim three wickets in the post-lunch session but India had another good session with the bat, scoring 101 runs in 29 overs.

Rahul wasted another opportunity to score a century as he tried to attack left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara but was caught at mid-on for 85, after hitting a world record seventh half-century in a row.

At the other end, Dhawan bagged his second century of the series, as he played a dominating innings of 119 from 123 balls, having hit 17 fours, before he was caught at square leg off Pushpakumara.

But the in-form Cheteshwar Pujara perished cheaply, caught in the slips off Sandakan for eight.

Another wicket or two and Sri Lanka could still keep India's total under check. However, if Kohli and Rahane manage to bat through the post-tea session then Sri Lanka are staring at another huge Indian first innings score.

India 235-3 (56 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Captain Virat Kohli plays a confident straight drive early on for a boundary past mid-off and immediately Sri Lanka place a fielder back at long-off.

However, Sandakan strikes from the other end with the big wicket of Pujara, who looks to cut but gets an edge which goes off wicketkeeper Dickwella's gloves and is caught by Mathews at first slip for eight.

India were 188 for no loss at one stage before losing three wickets for 31 runs to be reduced to 229 for three.

New batsman Ajinkya Rahane cautiously plays out the rest of the over for a wicket maiden.

Pushpakumara is taken off despite taking a wicket in his previous spell as pacer Fernando comes back with Sri Lanka looking to take another wicket before the tea break.

However, Rahane and Kohli manage to see off the last few overs bowled by Fernando and Sandakan in tandem to take India to 235 for three at the tea break on Day 1.

India 220-2 (48 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Lahiru again bowls it wide as Dhawan guides it square on the off-side for a couple before he pulls the next ball for a four.

He tries to sweep Pushpakumara but fails to make contact before taking one on the leg side and Pujara easily defends the rest of the over.

Spin from both ends now as Sandakan comes into the attack. Pujara gets an edge off the first ball which doesn't carry and goes past him for a single before Dhawan also takes one.

Pujara punches Sandakan through the off-side for two runs and clips the next on the leg side for one and Dhawan takes one from the last ball to get six runs from the over.

Pushpakumara ends Dhawan's splendid innings for 119 with captain Chandimal taking a superb catch at square leg. The left-hander played a powerful but Sri Lanka's skipper did well to hold on to a sharp two-handed catch to his left with hardly any time to react.

India 200-1 (42 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Dhawan steers Lahiru through point for one before Pujara flicks the pacer on the leg side for a couple to get off the mark.

The last ball is quick and short as Pujara is caught off-guard for once as he looks to avoid it but is struck on the helmet.

Dhawan comes down the track and drives Pushpakumara through the covers for a four to bring up his century from just 107 balls. This his second century of the series and his sixth overall.

India continue to score at a good rate as they cross the 200-run mark, in the 42nd over.

India 188-1 (40 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Sandakan coming under pressure as India's openers looking to be positive against him. Rahul looks to sweep it fine but fails to make connection and picks one bye.

But Dhawan connects with the sweep two balls later, hitting it fine for a four to bring up a record. The opening stand swells to 175, to register the highest partnership by any team against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.

Pacer Lahiru comes back, replacing Fernando. He continues to bowl loose deliveries as Rahul flicks the full delivery on the pads through midwicket for three runs as the ball slows down near the boundary.

Sri Lanka make a change as left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara comes into the attack in place of Sandakan.

The veteran spinner strikes in his very first over with the wicket of Rahul. The right-hander, who hit 85 from 135 balls, comes down the track but can't get enough elevation and is caught at mid-on as he attempts the lofted shot.

Rahul misses another opportunity to get a hundred falling between 50-100 for the seventh time in a row.

However, he has given India the perfect start, putting on 188 runs for the opening wicket with Dhawan.

India 170-0 (34 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

The two openers have not missed any opportunity to score runs. This time Fernando bowls it wide as Rahul strokes it through the covers for a four and then takes a single to bring up India's 150, in the 31st over.

Dhawan plays a sweep shot right off the middle but only manages to hit the fielder at short leg before he takes a single to point.

Fernando bowls a wide half-volley as Dhawan is quick to crack it through the covers for a four and then picks one. The left-arm pacer gets one to slant across the right-hander Rahul and also manages to get some movement to beat the batsman.

Sandakan drops short as Dhawan comfortably pulls it over midwicket for a four and then sweeps the next ball over the same region for another boundary to take his score into 80s.

Dhawan won't let any opportunity go by as he crashes a short wide delivery from Fernando past point for a four to take India to 170 for no loss in 35 overs.

India 144-0 (30 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Chinaman spinner Sandakan to resume proceedings after the lunch break. Dhawan takes a single off the second ball before Rahul (67) edges the next ball which goes quickly to Angelo Mathews, who barely has time to react and is unable to hold on to a tough chance. Another opportunity missed by Sri Lanka and it remains to be seen how costly it could prove to be.

Pacer Fernando from the other end. Dhawan and Rahul pick a single each from the over as they look to get their eye in after the break.

Rahul chips down the track to Sandakan for a single to long-on before Dhawan attempts the sweep but is beaten before he takes a single two balls later followed by one to Rahul off the last ball.

LUNCH - DAY 1

India 134-0 (27 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

The session belonged to India as they reach 134 for no loss in 27 overs, scoring at nearly five runs per over, after electing to bat on a good wicket.

Dhawan dominated from the start to smash 64 from 66 balls, while Rahul was solid at the other end to hit 67 from 97 balls as he hit a world record seven half-century in a row.

None of the Sri Lankan bowlers managed to make any sort of impression as India's openers found run scoring quite easy in the morning session.

Like has been the case in the first two matches, India once again look to run away with the match with a huge first innings total.

India 134-0 (27 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Perera trying to bowl defensive, look to build some pressure by bowling a tight line. But the Indians are having it easy with four singles off his fifth over.

For a change, Lahiru bowls a good tight over as he concedes just a single by looking to bowl full and not give any width.

Perera follows it up with another tight over, with a maiden to Rahul, who looks to have shut shop with lunch break fast approaching.

Sri Lanka make a change as left-arm chinaman spinner Lakshan Sandakan comes into the attack to make it spin from both ends. No problems for the Indians as they pick four easy singles from the over.

In his over, Sandakan bowls a full toss which Dhawan hits through square leg for a four.

Perera to bowl the final over of the session. Rahul picks a run to the fielder at long-on and Dhawan also takes a single.

Perera drops short as Rahul rocks back and smashes it through point for a four. The next is a half-volley and this time Rahul plays a beautiful cover drive for another boundary to get 10 from the final over of the morning session.

At lunch on Day 1, India race to 134 for no loss in 27 overs.

India 109-0 (20 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Rahul flicks a full delivery from Lahiru through midwicket for a couple to bring up his fifty from 67 balls, his seventh half-century in a row to equal the record for most fifties in a row.

The next ball is short as Rahul pulls it to deep square leg for one.

The pitch has been quite good for batting and the ball has come one nicely to the bat with the two openers hitting a lot of boundaries against the hard new ball.

India have reached 109 for no loss in 20 overs with Dhawan on 55 and Rahul on 51.

India 100-0 (18 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

The runs are coming quite easily for the Indians, especially, with Sri Lanka going on the defensive and spreading their fielders around to stop the flow of boundaries.

Four singles come off Karunaratne's fifth over and the two openers do the same in the next over off Perera.

Lahiru comes back and continues to leak boundaries. He starts his new spell with a wide full delivery which is crashed through the covers by Rahul before he takes one.

Dhawan punches the fourth ball through the covers for a fifty to race to his fifty, from just 45 balls, having hit eight fours. That also raises India's 100 in the 18th over as they continue to assert their domination.

India 83-0 (15 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Rahul goes after Karunaratne as he looks to play the lofted shot over the leg side but fails to make proper connection. The ball goes high but the fielder at mid-on is unable to react quickly as he runs back and drops it despite getting his hand to it. Sri Lanka's fielding has been a big letdown right through the series.

Rahul drives the next ball through the covers for three runs before Dhawan flicks the last ball through the leg side for a four.

Spin introduced as Dilruwan Perera comes into the attack to bowl the 13th over. He starts with a no-ball before Rahul takes a single as two runs come from it.

Another lapse from Sri Lanka in the field as Dinesh Chandimal at mid-on lets one go through his legs to gift Dhawan three runs.

Dhawan chips down the track to Perera and lofts the spinner over mid-off for a four. Three balls later, he pulls a short ball over midwicket for another four and then takes a single to race to 44 from 36 balls.

Rahul is looking solid on 36 from 55 balls as India cruise to 83 for no loss in 15 overs, with 30 runs coming from the last five overs.

India 53-0 (10 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Lahiru switches to round the wicket but bowls another poor delivery, short and wide as Dhawan helps himself for a boundary through the point region. The next ball is again short as the left-hander slaps it through the covers for three runs.

Lahiru then overpitches as Rahul plays a nice straight drive past mid-on for another four as the runs continue to flow.

The fast bowler coming under some attack from the Indian openers. He tries a short ball but Rahul is happy to play the pull shot, despatching it over square leg for the third four of the over.

A slight hesitation before the two openers steal a quick single from the last ball to make it 16 runs from the over.

The outfield is slightly sluggish as Dhawan's cover drive struggles to reach the boundary, fetching the left-hander only three runs and Rahul takes a single from the last ball to retain strike.

Medium pacer Dimuth Karunaratne comes into the attack in place of Lahiru, who bowled an expensive first spell of three overs for 26 runs.

Dhawan continues to relish on the width as he slashes Fernando through point for another four followed by a single to race to 26 from 19 balls.

A single in the next over takes India past the 50-run mark, in the 10th over.

Rahul gets an edge which goes through the slips for a couple followed by a single as India race to 53 for no loss in 10 overs.

India 21-0 (5 ovs) vs SL | Scorecard

Left-arm pacer Vishwa Fernando to open the bowling for Sri Lanka as the dangerous in-form duo of Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul stride out to the middle to open the batting for the Indians.

The first ball is on the pads as Dhawan turns it on the leg side for a single to get off the mark. Rahul also gets the next ball on the leg side for a couple before he repeats the shot off the fifth ball to pick up two more runs and gets a leg bye from the last ball.

Pacer Lahiru Kumara, who was dropped for the second match after a below-par showing in the first, to bowl the second over. He makes a good start this time around as he begins with a maiden, to KL Rahul.

Dhawan goes hard at a wide one, trying to force a full delivery from Fernando through the covers but gets an edge which goes through the gap between the slips for the first four of the Indian innings.

Rahul gets his first boundary in the next over as he guides a full delivery from Lahiru over the slips for a four.

The pacer again guilty of bowling some poor length, this time a short wide delivery is cracked through point by Dhawan for the second four of the over as 11 come from it.

Fernando bowls a maiden over to Rahul but India are off to a good start as they reach 21 for no loss in five overs.

India captain Virat Kohli has once again won the toss and yet again elected to bat against Sri Lanka in the third and final Test match.

India, who have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead, have made one change to their team. Ravindra Jadeja, who was suspended for this match, was replaced by chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

Meanwhile, the struggling Sri Lankans have made three changes with Dilhara Kumara, Lakshan Sandakan and Vishwa Fernando coming into the team.

Welcome to the coverage of the third and final Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo, on Saturday.

Virat Kohli and his men, who have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead, will be aiming to become the first Indian team to complete a whitewash in an overseas three-Test series.

India have won the first two Tests by comprehensive margins -- by 304 runs in Galle and an innings and 53 runs in Colombo.

Interestingly, Sri Lanka has decided to roll-out a green pitch loaded in favour of the seamers with an aim to salvage some pride from the inconsequential game.

Kohli could play his third specialist seamer in Bhuvneshwar Kumar in place of the suspended Ravindra Jadeja. However, he might come in for all-rounder Hardik Pandya, with chinaman Kuldeep Yadav playing as the second spinner along with Ravichandran Ashwin.

The 28 Tests in which he has captained India so far, Kohli has not fielded the same playing eleven and trend looks likely to continue.