The 27-year-old Indian led by two from Smith before Saturday's third round on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital but had a tough day with a stomach bug, compounded by finishing with two double bogeys for a five-over-par 76.
That dropped him down into a tie for seventh on five-under for the $400,000 (245,406.30 pound) event, three behind Smith who also struggled over the closing holes, dropping three shots from the 15th in his level par round of 71.
"I was cramping up in my stomach as I had an issue with my gut. Every time I started my downswing, I would cramp up," Lahiri said.
"I took some medication before the round but at the seventh, it got too much and I had to go (to the toilet). Every 20 to 30 minutes, I kept getting spasm. It was tough.
"But having said all that, I should have done better than I did. I’m still only three back though."
The 21-year-old Smith, who only turned professional last year, is eight-under for his three rounds, one clear of Thai duo Chapchai Nirat (69) and Sattaya Supupramai (68).
Smith said he would be working on his putting before Sunday's final round as he looks to close out a first win on the Asian Tour.
"I played pretty good but it was a disappointing finish. It was pretty tough out there and I didn’t putt that well ... no one to blame except myself. I’m going to relax and do some putting in my room," the Brisbane resident said.
"I’ve been in this position a couple of times now. Hopefully I can close the deal. I need to stay patient and stick to my game plan. With a bit of luck, hopefully I can win."
Asian Tour Order of Merit leader David Lipsky fired a 69 to move up into a tie for fourth alongside Australian Jake Higginbottom (71) and Taiwan's Hung Chien-yao, who fired a best of the day 67.
(Writing by Patrick Johnston; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
Share
