Sri Lanka started the post-lunch session well, but Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane counter-attacked superbly to make it 137 runs against two wickets for India during the session on Day 1 of the second Test against in Colombo

An unbeaten 89 (149 balls) by Cheteshwar Pujara and a fluent innings by Ajinkya Rahane (batting 41, 60 balls) helped India recover from losing two big wickets in the second session to reach 238 for three at tea

Sri Lanka started the post-lunch session well, but Pujara and Rahane counter-attacked superbly to make it 137 runs against two wickets during the session

Sri Lanka planned to test the Indian batsmen with spin in the second Test, but despite going in with three spinners, they didn’t have the desired results on the opening day. At one stage, they reduced India to 133 for three but all the three wickets were more due to the batsmen’s mistake than any great work by the bowlers.

If Shikhar Dhawan paid the price for his over-confidence by playing sweep to the first ball of a new bowler, post-lunch, KL Rahul was run-out due to poor calling and then Virat Kohli slashed at Rangana Herath’s delivery to be caught at slips.

KL Rahul had looked solid while working his way to his sixth successive fifty but then he called Pujara for a tight single. Pujara started but then stopped after a few steps and Rahul couldn’t get back on time to beat Dinesh Chandimal’s throw.

Kohli started brilliantly, picking up two well-timed fours, but was outfoxed by the Sri Lankan captain and spin ace Herath. For his left-arm spinners, captain Dinesh Chandimal kept the third man region completely open, inviting the batsmen to cut. Kohli fell to the bait to be caught by the lone slip, Angelo Mathews.

Pujara started sedately, before gradually picking up pace, playing some glorious on-drives.

-Source : Hindustan Times
-Agencies