COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna and spinner Manav Suthar took three wickets each to put India in control of the second cricket test Tuesday, holding Sri Lanka to 265 for eight at stumps on Day 3.

With India posting a formidable 503 for nine batting first, Sri Lanka must at least score another 39 runs with only two first innings wickets standing to avoid a follow-on.

No. 7 batter Sonal Dinusha remained unbeaten on 85, continuing his top form that fetched him 100 and 84 runs in the respective innings of the opening test in Galle. He had faced 137 deliveries and included two sixes and six boundaries.

Batting with him was tailender Lahiru Kumara on 8 when played ended early because of rain.

India’s fast bowling coach Morne Morkel said that his team will aim to pick up the two remaining wickets early and enforce the follow-on given the uncertain weather in Colombo.

“With the weather around some times, the time it takes to take the covers on and off, we want to get as many overs as possible to the Sri Lankans. Hopefully we can get those wickets, be brave, put them in and bowl well.”

Morkel said India’s regular wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant is nursing an injury on the shoulder but that he expected him to be back in the field on the fourth day as his reading of match situations will be important to the team.

Druv Jurel kept wickets for India in Pant’s absence.

Dinusha shared 57 runs for the eighth wicket with No. 9 batter Keshara Nuwantha who made 18 off 74 deliveries as they tried to stretch Sri Lanka’s innings.

Sri Lanka went to lunch at 130 for four and with just seven runs added to the total after the break, lost captain Dhananjaya de Silva (8) who was caught at slip by KL Rahul off Suthar.

Pasindu Sooriyabandara, who scored his first test half-century, was out for 80 when he was bowled by spinner Ravindra Jadeja off the edge.

In the first test in Galle, Sooriyabandara was dismissed for a first-ball duck while batting as a concussion substitute for Dinesh Chandimal. But here he appeared composed despite the precarious start to Sri Lanka’s innings, facing 133 deliveries and hitting nine boundaries.

Niroshan Dickwella departed without scoring leaving Sri Lanka 173 for seven, when Nuwantha joined Dinusha.

Nuwantha’s resistance ended when he lost concentration and charged down to hit Suthar only to be caught by Saransh Jain.

Earlier Sooriyabandara shared a 87-run partnership off 126 deliveries with Kamindu Mendis (32) helping revive Sri Lanka’s innings but that ended shortly before lunch when Mendis hit a ball from Krishna to Jadeja at midwicket.

Sooriyabandara told reporters that he was pleased with his effort but could have got a bigger score.

“I don’t know what the Indian coach said but if they want to enforce follow-on, scoring those runs that are needed to avoid a follow-on has to be our first priority,” he added.

India declared its first innings at 503 for nine on Day 2, helped by 117 runs from Devdutt Padikkal and Jurel’s unbeaten 115.

Sri Lanka was rattled early in reply, slipping to 8 for two by stumps on the second day and then losing overnight batter Kamil Mishara (19) with the total on 35.

Krishna led India’s attacking with bowling figures of 3-47, with Suthar taking 3-83.

India leads the two-match series after defeating Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the first test at Galle.

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