LIVE: Sandakan's late strikes gives respite to SL, but Kohli-Vijay 150s put India on driver's seat

If Sri Lanka made their presence felt in the first Test of the series by competing well, in the second, they were back to their recent just-mere-presence style where it was another abject surrender by their batsmen which set the game up for the hosts. Here we are for the third and final Test between India and Sri Lanka played at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.

India vs Sri Lanka 3rd Test, Day 1, Delhi, live scorecard

Stumps on Day 1

Good comeback by Sri Lanka towards the close of the day's play with the important wickets of Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane (1). But the damage was already done by Virat Kohli (156*) and Murali Vijay (155). India reach 371/4 at stumps on Day 1.

What happened to Rahane?

Sandakan bowls it wide outside off sutmp , Rahane goes for the expensive drive but the turn on the ball forces him to lose balance and he is gone. Sri Lanka get two in quick succession. The Indian vice captain is really going through a hard time. He is making the long walk back to the pavilion for 1.

A wicket, finally

OUT! That brings an end to a colossal innings from Murali Vijay (155). Sandakan finally gets one to turn past the bat and Vijay drags his back foot slightly, that was enough for Dickwella to whip the bails off, Sri Lanka have broken the 284-run stand.

Kohli gets to 150 now

Virat Kohli is like a shadow to Vijay now. The moment Vijay reaches a milstone, Kohli follows and at a better rate. We surely can expect another double ton from  the Indian captain. Now batting on 150.

150 for Vijay

Murali Vijay gets to 150, the Kotla crowd rises again. Oh this si becming a routine affair now. What an innings it has been. Calm, cool and collective but severe on anything lose. IND; 348/2

 

Three in a row!

Virat Kohli now first captain to score Test centuries in each Test of a three match series!#IndvSL

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) December 2, 2017

20th Test ton for Virat Kohli, his 13th as captain. What a player! He has scored this one without breaking a sweat. Colourful array of strokes all around the park and he has achieved this in rapid pace.

Session 3

Vijay and Kohli are back to resume their innings. How long will Kohli take to get to his ton? 

TEA, DAY 1

India 245/2. Murali Vijay 101(170), Virat Kohli 94 (101)

Two consecutive hundreds for Vijay

11th Test hundred for Murali Vijay! He has looked at ease from the moment he walked in. 

Celebrating a century in style, courtesy of @mvj888 and @imVkohli! #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/rR06on5sAE

— ICC (@ICC) December 2, 2017

This partnership is now worth 150 runs. It just rolls on and on.

Can Dhanjaya provide the Lankans the breakthrough?

200 comes up for India

15th Test fifty for the India skipper

Over-correction from Gamage results in another boundary that brings up Kohli's 15th Test fifty off just 52 balls. 

Another milestone for Virat Kohli

5000 Test runs for the Indian skipper, 4th fastest Indian to the mark. He is unstoppable when he is in such good flow that he is right now.  

50-run stand between Vijay and Kohli! 

Here we are after the Lunch break. India have begun well in spite of a couple of setbacks. As the saying goes, well begun is half done. The Vijay-Kohli combo has got going with a fluent 38-run stand off just 40 deliveries. Sri Lanka will have to break this stand before it gets out of hands. Out come their players followed by the Indian batsmen. DILRUWAN PERERA it will be, who will start the proceedings with the ball. A slip and a bat-pad catcher in place.

Session 2, Day 1

It has been India's morning and they continue to march on in this series. 

End of session 1

27 overs, 116 runs, two wickets. 

16th Test fifty for Murali Vijay

Vijay has justified his selection ahead of KL Rahul. What a way to get to the landmark! Length dilevery by Lakmal and Vijay opens the face of the bat and plays it towards the point region for a quick single. Debutant Roshen picks up the ball and has a shy at the stumps. Vijay reaches the other end, needless throw, the ball hits the stumps and races away for an overthrow for a boundary. He gets five runs to get to the fifty.

Virat walks in to bat

Gamage strikes to dismiss Pujara

Pujara has fallen to a well-planned Sri Lankan move. Gamage bowls to his field and reaps the reward. Length ball on the pads, Pujara tries to flick it away. He couldn't keep the ball down and hits it straight to the fielder at leg gully. 

Perera betters Muralidharan's record

There is a bowling comparison being made between Perera and Muralitharan. Perera does better in terms of strike rate and he has got 100 Test wickets in his 25th Test match while Murali had taken 95 wickets in the same number of matches. He is also the fastest Sri Lankan to take 100 Test wickets.

India will be happy with the way things are going on so far. They are going at a healthy run rate. They have lost the wicket of Dhawan but other than that they look solid.

Pujara is the new man in

Century of wickets

100th Test wicket for Perera! He becomes the third Sri Lankan spinner after Muralitharan and Herath to achieve this feat! 

Dhawan departs

Dhawan throws his wicket away after a promising start.

Dhawan, Vijay off to steady start

Player are out in the middle for national anthem

Unbeaten in Delhi

India haven't lost a Test at this venue in the last 30 years.

Dhawan Returns!

Shikhar Dhawan returns in the playing XI and he will partner Murali Vijay right at the top for India

TOSS

Heads is the call from Chandimal... It comes down as TAILS. INDIA WIN THE TOSS AND BAT!

If Sri Lanka made their presence felt in the first Test of the series by competing well, in the second, they were back to their recent just-mere-presence style where it was another abject surrender by their batsmen which set the game up for the hosts. Here we are for the third and final Test between India and Sri Lanka played at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. Welcome to our coverage and we hope this game would see the tourists turn the table on the hosts.