A wet outfield caused by persistent rain washed out the post-lunch session on the opening day of the series-deciding final Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo on Friday.

Just 75 minutes of play was possible before lunch, during which Sri Lanka grabbed two early wickets after sending India in to bat on a greenish pitch under overcast conditions at the Sinhalese sports club.

The tourists slipped to 14-2 in the fourth over before moving to 50 without further loss in the 15 overs that were bowled.

Cheteshwar Pujara was unbeaten on 19 and skipper Virat Kohli was on 14, the pair having put on 36 for the third wicket to stymie the Sri Lankan attack.

The series is locked at 1-1 after Sri Lanka won the opening Test in Galle by 63 runs and India drew level with a 278-run win in the second match at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo on Monday.

The hard-working groundstaff, who had covered the entire field, were trying to dry the surface but their efforts continued to be hampered by overcast skies.

India lost second Test century-maker Lokesh Rahul off the second ball of the match, bowled by Dhammika Prasad with a sharp in-swinger that the batsman wanted to leave.

Ajinkya Rahane, who also scored a hundred in the previous match, made eight when he was given out leg-before off seamer Nuwan Pradeep in the fourth over.

India would have been in further trouble at 33-2 had debutant wicket-keeper Kusal Perera not dropped Kohli down the leg-side off Pradeep. The missed catch also cost the hosts five penalty runs as the ball hit a helmet lying behind the ‘keeper.

The tourists were forced to make two changes for the series decider, replacing the injured duo of opener Murali Vijay and wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha with Pujara and 32-year-old debutant Naman Ojha.

Sri Lanka replaced the retired Kumar Sangakkara with another left-hander, Upul Tharanga, and also included Pradeep and Perera.

The hosts left out Jehan Mubarak and Dushmantha Chameera from the side which lost the second Test.

Source: AFP