Jadeja, Ashwin put India on course for innings win over Sri Lanka

:India's spin twins Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin put the hosts on course for an innings victory against Sri Lanka on the third day of the opening test at Mohali on Sunday.

A day after his unbeaten 175 with the bat, Jadeja put Sri Lanka's batters in a knot in the first innings with his left-arm spin, picking up a five-wicket haul as the touring side were bundled out for 174.

Having secured a lead of 400, India enforced the follow-on and off-spinner Ashwin did the early damage this time by picking up the wickets of Lahiru Thirimanne and Pathum Nissanka, who top-scored in Sri Lanka's first innings with an unbeaten 61.

Captain Dimuth Karunaratne looked set at the crease before he fell for 27 to fast bowler Mohammed Shami while Dhananjaya de Silva was dismissed by Jadeja after scoring 30.

Sri Lanka reached 120-4 in their second innings at the tea interval, still trailing by 280 runs. Former skipper Angelo Mathews and Charith Asalanka were at the crease.

The two second-innings wickets took the 35-year-old Ashwin's tally in tests to 434 - putting him at second spot alongside former India all-rounder Kapil Dev in the list of the country's most successful bowlers in the format.

India, who have won 14 consecutive home series, need six wickets more to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

It was the 10th five-wicket haul in a test innings for the 33-year-old Jadeja and he scythed through the Sri Lankan lower order and tail with laser-like precision, finishing with figures of 5-41.

Resuming on 108-4, Nissanka and Asalanka both survived dropped chances against Ashwin within the first 15 minutes of the third day's play.

Nissanka, who was also bowled off a no-ball from Jasprit Bumrah on Saturday, added 58 for the fifth wicket