England captain Joe Root continued his dominance over spinners on the subcontinent, reaching the second hundred in a row with his undefeated 137 in the second test, helping tourists reach 252 by six at tea on Sunday’s third day.
England was still trailing by 129 runs after the home team was 381 in their first innings.
Root, who had scored his career 100 100 before lunch, also surpassed Kevin Pietersen’s tally of 8,181 test runs to become England’s fifth-best in the five-day format.
Root scored twice a hundred in the first test that England won by seven wickets.
England hitters have struggled against the Sri Lankan spin, but Root has remained calm.
Root’s plans against effects seemed simple: For full deliveries, defend yourself with your back foot and play the sweep for the ones that were short.
Sri Lanka put three fielders on the edge to cut off the sweep shot, but Root kept finding spaces.
He shared a 97-run spot for the fifth wicket with Jos Buttler, who brought up his 18th test of half a century after cutting Dilruwan Perera by four.
He was fired for 55 when Sri Lanka reviewed the decision to give rookie Ramesh Mendis his maiden test wicket.
Buttler had tried a reverse sweep but ended up passing the ball to his boot and short-leg fielder Oshada Fernando made the catch.
Sam Curran survived one leg before yelling at Perera and later in it deposited one by six in the middle of the wicket.
In the last finale before tea, Lasith Embuldeniya, who was given the new City End ball, had Curran caught in a slide to complete a five-wicket round, his third in trials.
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