Sri Lanka avoided the follow-on on day three of the third Test against India in Delhi after centuries from Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Matthews steadied the ship after India made early inroads.

Matthews fell on 111, caught behind from a Ravi Ashwin delivery, while Chandimal played a valiant captain’s knock. No other batsmen made notable scores, however, and Sri Lanka ended the day on 356-9.

India have looked formidable throughout this series and had established a commanding position in this match after declaring on 536-7 in their first innings. A career-best 243 from the imperious Virat Kohli, supported by a supreme knock of 155 from Murali Vijay, had displayed the host’s superiority in bullish fashion.

The match has been plagued by smog, which forced some players to wear face masks; some even leaving the field voluntarily before play was halted. Delhi has been experiencing extreme levels of smog for weeks; Chandimal had to receive treatment on day two on his way to three figures.

When Sri Lanka return to the crease tomorrow morning with one wicket remaining, the centurion will be looking to expand on his undefeated 147 and continue to chip away at the run deficit – and quickly, before he runs out of partners.