The ignominy of the follow-on has revived Sri Lanka's stomach for a fight and the beleaguered hosts reached 2-209 in their second dig after a meek first-innings surrender in the second Test against India.
Kusal Mendis smashed a belligerent 110 and Dimuth Karunaratne complimented with an unbeaten 92 following Sri Lanka's first innings capitulation for 183 on day three.
After losing eight wickets in the extended morning session, Sri Lanka returned after lunch a transformed side, as Mendis and Karunaratne raised 191 runs following Upul Tharanga's departure for two.
On a fast-crumbling track, Mendis deftly negotiated the Indian spinners, hitting 17 boundaries in his sparkling knock before falling to Hardik Pandya.
Karunaratne's unbeaten knock included 12 hits to the fence. Nightwatchman Malinda Pushpakumara was batting on two with Sri Lanka still trailing by 230 runs.
Earlier, Ravichandran Ashwin (5-69) claimed his 26th five-wicket haul as he and spin partner Ravindra Jadeja (2-84) tormented Sri Lanka on a deteriorating pitch that allowed for prodigious spin, with the ball often kicking up puffs of dust.
Ashwin said that Indian bowlers were not faulty in the second innings, instead praising the Sri Lankans for smart batting.
"We beat the bat pretty often even in the sessions we didn't get the wickets. I thought they batted really well."
"I don't think we did too much wrong, we tried all, reverse swing, we bowled cutters. It (the pitch) is slowing down at a very very quick pace, the edges are not carrying. That means we have to stick our guns out and get a few wickets."
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