Sri Lankan spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis shared two quick wickets to shatter India's hopes of setting a challenging target in the crucial third and final Test here on Monday.Mendis dismissed a well-set Rahul Dravid and Muralitharan removed skipper Anil Kumble in the space of six overs before India reached 238-7 in their second innings at lunch on the fourth day.
The tourists are now just 91 runs ahead with three wickets in hand. They added 77 in the morning after resuming at 161-5.
Venkatsai Laxman, batting with a runner after twisting his left ankle on Saturday, was unbeaten on 50 at the break and Harbhajan Singh on nine not out.
The series is tied at 1-1, with Sri Lanka winning the opening Test by an innings and 239 runs and India clinching a 170-run victory in the second match.
Dravid (68) and Laxman batted cautiously to add 85 for the sixth wicket before unorthodox spinner Mendis struck a vital blow to end India's fightback.
Mendis had Dravid caught at first slip by skipper Mahela Jayawardene for his third victim of the innings. He has now taken 26 wickets in the series, the highest by any bowler in a debut three-Test series.
The previous record-holder was Englishman Alec Bedser, who took 24 wickets against India at home in 1946.
Former captain Dravid and Laxman denied the hosts success for more than an hour with their sensible knocks, taking no chances against the Sri Lankan spinners on a slow-turning pitch.
Dravid hit six fours in his 166-ball knock, his first half-century of the series. Laxman struck three fours in his second half-century in six innings.
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