Agency :
India made a dream start to the first Test by scoring 399 for 3 on the first day of the match with Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara scoring contrasting centuries and sharing a 253-run stand for the second wicket. Dhawan was dismissed for 190.
Sri Lanka had their tail up by taking early wicket of Abhinav Mukund and one more wicket would have given them the upper hand in the first hour of the first day. But, Shikhar Dhawan and Chesteshwar Pujara dashed all their hopes and ensured that India dominated the first day’s play of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Wednesday.
India made their second highest score on day one of a Test as they went to stumps at 399 for the loss of three wickets. This is only the second time they have scored 399 runs on the first day of a Test match. The first instance was also against Sri Lanka in Kanpur in 2009.
The credit for the big score goes to a 253-run stand between Dhawan and Pujara, who both scored centuries and punished the Sri Lankan bowlers in contrasting manners. While Dhawan fell short of his maiden double ton by 10 runs, Pujara remained unbeaten on 145 at close of play.
If his hundred was a pain for Sri Lanka, his brutality after that was a punishment. Dhawan seemed unstoppable on Wednesday, scoring runs at a strike rate of more than after he got his ton. Even before that, he had a strike rate of mid-70s, thanks to to his quick singles and odd boundary.
The Indian opener made a mockery of the Sri Lankan bowlers, scoring boundaries all around the park. He played the sweep shot to great effect, he drove with elegance and made some quick runs. With that brutal innings, Dhawan brought up his 5th century in Test cricket off just 114 balls. Though there was no sixes in his innings, Dhawan was stunning at the pace at which he scored his runs.
At one stage, the Sri Lanka had a one-day style fielding setting for him with only four fielders in thirty-yard circle while others were on the ropes to stop the boundaries. But, somehow, he continued to find the gaps and score runs with ease.
When India went to Lunch, Dhawan, who scored most of his runs through the leg-side, straight down the pitch or behind square, was on 64 and Pujara batting on 37*. Between Lunch and Tea, Dhawan scored 126 runs which is the second highest amount of runs an Indian has scored in a single session of a Test match. Virender Sehwag has 133 in the final session of a Test against Sri Lanka 2009-10.
He only gave one chance to Sri Lanka in the 14th over. Batting on 31, the opener casually drove Kumara but it took his bat’s outside and flew to second slip. Asela Gunaratne, who had a padded wrist and thumb, dived to his left to take the catch and despite getting both hands, he failed to hang on. He walked off the field after that with a fractured thumb which has ruled him out of the Test series.
Dhawan had missed previous 11 Test matches of India and made a statement in his comeback Test. He reminded of his debut innings against Australia where he scored 187 runs and like that time, he missed his maiden double century when he drove a wide delivery to mid-off off Pradeep.
Pujara has enjoyed all this from the other end. He had slowly built his innings around Dhawan with single. By the time his partner got out, Pujara was at 75* in what was a chanceless innings so far at Tea.
The final session saw Virat Kohli fall cheaply as he tried to pull Pradeep but was caught behind. Sri Lanka bowlers, who seemed to have not arrived on the ground, though they might have a new opening. But, Pujara, solid in his defence and Ajinkya Rahane, who was looking to find some runs under his belt made sure they paid for their indiscipline.
Pujara went from 88* to 98* in fours balls but had been very slow before that. On the 173rd ball he had faced, Pujara flicked one on the leg-side and ran two to bring up his 12th century. He struck nine boundaries in that innings.
Rahane was unbeaten on 39 and looked in his 94-ball innings. India have handed debut to Hardik Pandya and included only two pacers in Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav in the playing XI.
Sri Lanka also handed debut to Gunathilaka but have a problem as now Gunaratne has been ruled, they will be left with only 10 batsmen in their innings. With India looking strong to post a big score, this can turn out to be a big concern for the hosts who ran out of ideas on the first day itself as Dhawan and Pujara toyed with the bowling. When they got together, India were 27 for the loss of one wicket in the eighth over. By the time they were separated, India were 280 in 54.1 overs.
India made a dream start to the first Test by scoring 399 for 3 on the first day of the match with Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara scoring contrasting centuries and sharing a 253-run stand for the second wicket. Dhawan was dismissed for 190.
Sri Lanka had their tail up by taking early wicket of Abhinav Mukund and one more wicket would have given them the upper hand in the first hour of the first day. But, Shikhar Dhawan and Chesteshwar Pujara dashed all their hopes and ensured that India dominated the first day’s play of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Wednesday.
India made their second highest score on day one of a Test as they went to stumps at 399 for the loss of three wickets. This is only the second time they have scored 399 runs on the first day of a Test match. The first instance was also against Sri Lanka in Kanpur in 2009.
The credit for the big score goes to a 253-run stand between Dhawan and Pujara, who both scored centuries and punished the Sri Lankan bowlers in contrasting manners. While Dhawan fell short of his maiden double ton by 10 runs, Pujara remained unbeaten on 145 at close of play.
If his hundred was a pain for Sri Lanka, his brutality after that was a punishment. Dhawan seemed unstoppable on Wednesday, scoring runs at a strike rate of more than after he got his ton. Even before that, he had a strike rate of mid-70s, thanks to to his quick singles and odd boundary.
The Indian opener made a mockery of the Sri Lankan bowlers, scoring boundaries all around the park. He played the sweep shot to great effect, he drove with elegance and made some quick runs. With that brutal innings, Dhawan brought up his 5th century in Test cricket off just 114 balls. Though there was no sixes in his innings, Dhawan was stunning at the pace at which he scored his runs.
At one stage, the Sri Lanka had a one-day style fielding setting for him with only four fielders in thirty-yard circle while others were on the ropes to stop the boundaries. But, somehow, he continued to find the gaps and score runs with ease.
When India went to Lunch, Dhawan, who scored most of his runs through the leg-side, straight down the pitch or behind square, was on 64 and Pujara batting on 37*. Between Lunch and Tea, Dhawan scored 126 runs which is the second highest amount of runs an Indian has scored in a single session of a Test match. Virender Sehwag has 133 in the final session of a Test against Sri Lanka 2009-10.
He only gave one chance to Sri Lanka in the 14th over. Batting on 31, the opener casually drove Kumara but it took his bat’s outside and flew to second slip. Asela Gunaratne, who had a padded wrist and thumb, dived to his left to take the catch and despite getting both hands, he failed to hang on. He walked off the field after that with a fractured thumb which has ruled him out of the Test series.
Dhawan had missed previous 11 Test matches of India and made a statement in his comeback Test. He reminded of his debut innings against Australia where he scored 187 runs and like that time, he missed his maiden double century when he drove a wide delivery to mid-off off Pradeep.
Pujara has enjoyed all this from the other end. He had slowly built his innings around Dhawan with single. By the time his partner got out, Pujara was at 75* in what was a chanceless innings so far at Tea.
The final session saw Virat Kohli fall cheaply as he tried to pull Pradeep but was caught behind. Sri Lanka bowlers, who seemed to have not arrived on the ground, though they might have a new opening. But, Pujara, solid in his defence and Ajinkya Rahane, who was looking to find some runs under his belt made sure they paid for their indiscipline.
Pujara went from 88* to 98* in fours balls but had been very slow before that. On the 173rd ball he had faced, Pujara flicked one on the leg-side and ran two to bring up his 12th century. He struck nine boundaries in that innings.
Rahane was unbeaten on 39 and looked in his 94-ball innings. India have handed debut to Hardik Pandya and included only two pacers in Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav in the playing XI.
Sri Lanka also handed debut to Gunathilaka but have a problem as now Gunaratne has been ruled, they will be left with only 10 batsmen in their innings. With India looking strong to post a big score, this can turn out to be a big concern for the hosts who ran out of ideas on the first day itself as Dhawan and Pujara toyed with the bowling. When they got together, India were 27 for the loss of one wicket in the eighth over. By the time they were separated, India were 280 in 54.1 overs.
