India toil as Muralitharan takes scalp of Tendulkar

SRI Lanka seized the initiative in the first Test in Galle by reducing India to 140 for three at stumps on day three after declaring their first innings at 520 for eight.

Virender Sehwag remained unbeaten on 85 when bad light stopped play but vaunted team-mates Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid were already out.

Tendulkar, Test cricket's greatest run-scorer, was out lbw for eight to Muttiah Muralitharan, the greatest wicket-taker. Muralitharan, playing his final Test, moved to 793 career wickets when he caught Tendulkar misjudging a sweep. Muralitharan finished the day with 1 for 31 off seven overs. India started poorly when Gautam Gambhir was dismissed off the second ball of the innings, trapped lbw for two by seamer Lasith Malinga.

Sehwag and Dravid combined for a 66-run partnership until Dravid misjudged a second run and was run out for 18. By stumps, Sehwag had faced 98 balls, hit 14 boundaries and a six, and looked set for his 20th Test century. VVS Laxman was with him on 18 not out.

Muralitharan earlier walked in to bat to a guard of honour by the India fielders and umpires as firecrackers were set off. Muralitharan, in probably his last Test innings, finished not out on five. Seam bowler Abhimanyu Mithun had a dream debut for India, returning the best bowling figures of 4 for 105 off 28 overs. Almost four sessions have been lost because of rain, reducing the likelihood of a result in the series opener.