Sri Lanka fast bowler Chaminda Vaas took four wickets for 12 runs to leave West Indies precariously placed on 59 for six after play was called off due to bad light on a rain-affected third day of the first Test on Friday.
West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul was unbeaten on 29 when play was suspended for the second time in the afternoon due to bad light, forcing an early tea.
Rain wiped out the first session at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
The tourists, who bowled out Sri Lanka for 227 on the second day to claim a first-innings advantage, had extended their slim to 117.
Vaas, 31, followed up a fine all round performance on the second day with the early wickets of Narsingh Deonarine (seven) and Dwayne Smith for no score.
Deonarine was trapped lbw while padding away a delivery that held its line sufficiently to hit off stump and Smith, who recorded a pair, was trapped lbw by an in-dipper that swung back extravagantly.
Chanderpaul and 19-year-old wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin (11) survived a searching session before bad light forced the players off.
After the resumption the sixth-wicket pair extended their partnership to 27 before Muralitharan pinned Ramdin lbw on the back foot with a sharp-spinning off break.
Scorecard:
West Indies 1st innings: 285
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 227
West Indies 2nd innings: (Overnight: 17-3)
S. Joseph c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 2
X. Marshall lbw b Vaas 2
R. Morton lbw b Vaas 0
N. Deonarine lbw b Vaas 7
S. Chanderpaul not out 29
D. Smith lbw b Vaas 0
D. Ramdin lbw b Muralitharan 11
O. Banks not out 0
Extras (b-8) 8
Total (for 6 wickets, 35.5 overs) 59
Fall of wickets: 1-3 2-3 3-15 4-21 5-21 6-48
Bowling: Vaas 12 - 4 - 12 - 4, Malinga 6 - 4 - 2 - 0, Muralitharan 11.5 - 6 - 17 - 2, Jayasuriya 6 - 1 - 20 - 0
