Sri Lanka's young bowlers put the home side in control of the decisive third Test in Colombo after they bowled India out for 249.

While the morning belonged to debutant paceman Dammika Prasad, it was 23-year-old spinner Ajantha Mendis who dominated the afternoon and evening sessions as he claimed five wickets.

India reached 190 for six at tea but suffered a collapse quickly thereafter as Mendis removed Parthiv Patel and Anil Kumble in the first over after the interval before Muttiah Muralitharan took the wicket of Harbhajan Singh.

Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan then frustrated Sri Lanka, extending the innings by almost 21 overs and putting on 51 between them before Khan was out for 32, becoming Mendis' fifth victim, stumped after mis-timing a slog shot.

Sharma was left unbeaten on 17.

There was time for Sri Lanka to face eight overs, and they finished the day on 14 for one after the loss of Malinda Warnapura, clean bowled by a bullet from Sharma for eight.

Michael Vandoort is unbeaten on three while Chaminda Vaas is yet to score.

Earlier, Prasad had starred for the hosts, taking three wickets in the morning session.

Mendis took over in the afternoon to claim the key wicket of opener Gautam Gambhir and then remove VVS Laxman shortly before tea.

This was billed as a flat track, but India, who levelled the three-match series with victory in Galle last week, failed to take advantage with Gambhir the only man to build an innings as he made 72 before being trapped lbw by Mendis - a decision only given after an appeal from Mahela Jayawardene.

Gambhir, and opening partner Virender Sehwag, came out with all guns blazing with India moving past the 50 mark in just the seventh over.

Sehwag perished shortly after, however, edging a Prasad ball which straightened to wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene for 21.

Prasad then claimed the wickets of two Indian veterans.

First he trapped Rahul Dravid (10) leg before wicket, although the appeal was only successful after Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene asked third umpire Billy Doctrove to review the original call of not out from umpire Mark Benson.

And then he claimed the scalp of Sachin Tendulkar (six) lbw, with Tendulkar's appeal against the decision rejected.

Muralitharan was brought into the attack after lunch, and was unlucky not to get Sourav Ganguly for 25 when Mahela Jayawardene dropped a catch in the slips.

Ganguly stuck around for another eight overs, but Murali eventually got his man when Mahela Jayawardene held on to a similar chance to remove him at the cost of 10 additional runs.

After Gambhir fell, Laxman and Patel adopted a survival mentality, scratching out singles against Mendis and Muralitharan, with both men surviving a couple of close calls against the more experienced spinner.

But just when it looked as though they had made it to tea, Mendis got Laxman for 25, tempting him out of his crease with a delivery that cut away to allow Prasanna Jayawardene to whip the bails off.

The collapse then began in earnest. Patel was given lbw to Mendis, and although he asked for a review, the delivery looked to be heading for the middle stump and he was sent on his way for 13.

Two balls later, Kumble followed him back to the pavilion for one after a superb googly from Mendis crept through the gap between bat and pad to strike the stumps.

Harbhajan came in looking to play aggressively, but it did not serve him well as he mis-timed a slog off Murali and was caught out at deep mid-wicket by Vandort.

After removing Khan, Mendis finished with figures of five for 56 off 28 overs.

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