Live Cricket Score - Sri Lanka v England, Galle, 2nd Test, Day 3

Drama in the final over!!

Joe Root's marathon 186 took England closer to Sri Lanka's total, with the visitors behind by 42 runs at close of play on Day 3 of the Galle Test. Meanwhile, Lasith Embuldeniya was the star performer for Sri Lanka, bagging seven wickets.

At the start of the final session, England were in a spot of bother with the score reading 252/6. However, Dom Bess gave Root valuable support, with the duo sharing an 81-run stand in just over 28 overs. The pair began on a cautious note and it was only in the 93rd over when Bess tried to play with freedom, top-edging a hook off Suranga Lakmal.

Root then brought up his 150 with his trademark sweep by playing against the turn. Root continued to deal in sweeps and reverse sweeps, and collected yet another boundary via the reverse sweep off Embuldeniya in the 100th over. Such was his mastery over the conditions that when he was beaten in the very next over that it seemed like a rare sight.

For a while Bess and Root even looked set to guide the visitors to stumps. However, at the fag end of the day, Embuldeniya bowled one of his trademark deliveries that turned sharply to dismiss Bess. He then also removed Mark Wood. In the final over of the day, Sri Lanka finally saw the back of Root, courtesy a run out. Root tried to be aggressive by skipping down the track, only to edge it to Oshada Fernando at FSL, who in turn showed the required reflexes to throw down the stumps with a direct-hit. A tired and dejected looking Root walked back to the pavilion after compiling a fantastic hand.

One-man army?

It is turning into Embuldeniya v England. The left-arm spinner, eventually, ended the threatening stand between Root and Bess by dislodging the latter by inducing the edge to the slips. We have the left-arm spinner doing it again and again - Drawing the batsman forward and then getting sharp turn to produce the edge.

Embuldeniya didn't stop there as he also removed Wood. Seven wickets for the spinner. One-man army?

Root-athon!

The Root march continues. He was circumspect in the final session, especially with England finding themselves behind by more than 100 runs. However, he got to his 150 with his trademark sweep. Meanwhile, Bess has played a few shots with the pair frustrating Sri Lanka and sharing an unbeaten 50-run stand. The lead is now less than 80 and England have gone past 300!

Sri Lanka chip away

Joe Root (137*) continued to bisect gaps and collected useful runs, but Sri Lanka made crucial inroads to edge ahead at Tea on Day 3.

The visitors began the second session with Root and Buttler looking to pinch singles and twos. Eventually, Buttler took the aggressive option by essaying a sumptuous cover-drive off Suranga Lakmal. Buttler also reached his fifty with a cut shot off Lasith Embuldeniya. However, against the run of play, Buttler tried one reverse-sweep too many but could only edge it to the fielder at FSL who pouched the chance via Buttler's boot.

The on-field umpire asked for TV umpire's help who confirmed that Buttler was out. In fact, Buttler had also tried a similar ambitious reverse sweep in the first session, but eked out an under-edge onto the ground before it hit his boot. The wicket also turned out to be Ramesh Mendis's maiden Test scalp. Once Buttler was dismissed, Dilruwan Perera and Mendis got a few to turn sharply to beat Sam Curran's edge. The all-rounder also survived a close LBW shout off Perera before he became Lasith Embuldeniya's fifth victim on the verge of Tea.

Root, meanwhile, was more circumspect in the post-Lunch session. One of the highlights of his batting was the way he skipped down the deck and smashed Embuldeniya down the ground.

And the breakthrough...

Finally Sri Lanka have broken the stand and it has come via an unlikely source. Ramesh Mendis, on his Test debut, has dismissed the dangerous Buttler. The 'keeper-batsman again tried the reverse-sweep but this time it didn't hit the ground. Instead it hit the boot and was caught by the FSL fielder. The on-field umpire asked for the help of the TV umpire who confirmed that Buttler was out. Mendis is thrilled. Sri Lankan players are thrilled.

Spare bat?