Sri Lanka opener Upul Tharanga completed an unbeaten half—century on Friday as the hosts reached 104-3 at lunch on the third day of the first test in reply to South Africa’s first innings score of 455-9 declared.
Resuming at 30-0, Sri Lanka was steadied by Tharanga’s 65 not out but pacemen Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel shared three wickets to keep the pressure on the home side.
Tharanga, who is playing his first test for six years, struck 12 fours so far in his fourth test fifty.
Tharanga got past his fifty with two fours off an over from spinner Jean-Paul Duminy. He struck the off-spinner past point and two deliveries later straight down the ground to move from 45 to 53.
South Africa got the early wicket of Kaushal Silva in the morning session. Silva tried to hook a bouncer from Steyn but could not control the shot due to extra bounce and holed out to Vernon Philander at the long-leg boundary without adding to his overnight score of eight.
Experienced batsmen Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene then fell in quick succession.
Sangakkara was out immediately after a brief 10-minute rain break as he shaped for a pull off Morkel but played the ball on to the stumps.
Jayawardene, who has announced he will retire next month after playing the second test of this series as well as another two-game home series against Pakistan, was trapped lbw by Steyn after he had scored just three.
