India vs Sri Lanka 2017: 3rd Test, day 4, 5 things we learnt from the day

Ravindra Jadeja struck twice, sending back Dimuth Karunaratne and nightwatchman, Suranga Lakmal, in the space of three balls to reduce the visitors to 31/3 at stumps after half-centuries from Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma enabled India to set up a declaration pretty quickly and gave Lanka a target of 410.

Earlier, Dinesh Chandimal could not quite carry on his momentum from day 3 to get his team close in the first innings with Ishant Sharma sending the skipper back for 164. Vijay and a promoted Rahane departed early, but Dhawan and Pujara fired before Kohli and Rohit Sharma added the finishing touches with a run-a-ball 90-run stand.

#5 Pollution continues to hog limelight

Nine Sri Lankan players wore masks on the fourth day while fielding

Hazardous conditions at the Feroz Shah Kotla continued to be under the microscope as Suranga Lakmal vomited on the ground on Tuesday. Nic Pothas had also clarified that players had been throwing up in the dressing room as well. Sri Lanka even protested against the match still being played despite the alarming level of pollution in the Indian capital.

The US Embassy lists air quality in Delhi at 398, which is fifteen times more than WHO's permissible limit. With face masks on and bizarre playing conditions owing to the smog, the Delhi Test has become more than just cricket. The debate is likely to continue way after the match gets over with BCCI taking minimal steps to avoid the farce that manifested during the Test.

#4 Chandimal's valiant fight ends on 164

Chandimal's attempt to rally together Lakshan Sandakan stopped halfway

Dinesh Chandimal was unbeaten on 147 at stumps on day 3 and would have ideally wanted a double hundred to take Sri Lanka close to India's total. Sandakan hung around for 20 balls without scoring a run while the skipper tried to steal a few runs and pressurise India during the first session on day 4.

However, that fight ended when Chandimal threw his bat at a wide delivery from Ishant Sharma, only to be caught at third man. The skipper from the Island Nation has been a figure of consistency in Test cricket despite Sri Lanka's recent failings. He has as many hundreds as Hashim Amla, David Warner and Joe Root in Tests since 2016.

#3 Dhawan accelerates

Dhawan did his part with a quickfire half-century

Shikhar Dhawan blitzed his way to a belligerent half-century with India looking to set Lanka a huge target in the third and final Test of the series in New Delhi. The local boy looked in exemplary touch and made use of some wayward Lankan bowling to race to a fine half-century.

Vijay departed early in the second innings but Dhawan was in a zone of his own as he took on Lakshan Sandakan and Dhananjaya de Silva's innocuous bowling. He eventually fell to Sandakan, as he tried to accelerate the scoring rate to enable a declaration as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, his quickfire start gave India a stable platform and helped Kohli and Rohit fire on all cylinders later in the innings.

#2 Kohli - Rohit tee off

Kohli and Rohit had some fun before sending Lanka in to bat again

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had a decent platform and a potentially mammoth lead. They could play their ODI game and give the Indian bowlers a crack at Sri Lanka's clueless batsmen before stumps on day 4 and this is exactly what unfolded in Delhi. The duo went about their business in a nonchalant, effortless manner, smashing boundaries, picking on the fielders and racing off.

The 90-run stand between the two came in 15 overs as both batsmen also got their respective half-centuries. Kohli's fifty came up in 58 balls while Rohit was unbeaten on 50 off 49 deliveries. The skipper was dismissed by Lahiru Gamage and India's innings was declared on 246/5.

#1 Sri Lanka's batting woes continue

Karunaratne was undone by Ravindra Jadeja late in the day

Sri Lanka needed a solid start in their second innings to put the hosts to a test, but were pegged back immediately when Sadeera Samarawickrama's tour got even worse. He tried to stay away from an Ishant Sharma bouncer but gloved it and gave a catch to the gully fielder leaving Sri Lanka reduced to 14/1.

Dimuth Karunaratne has so often been Lanka's saviour in the fourth innings, where he averages much higher than most batsmen in international cricket, but he couldn't live up to the expectations in the ongoing series. An arm ball from Jadeja ended Karunaratne's vigil and the left-arm spinner then cleaned up nightwatchman, Suranga Lakmal, three balls later.