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Colombo: India, electing to bat, were 319 for six at stump on the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo on Thursday.
They were rocked early before a big stand steadied them thanks to a superb century from Lokesh Rahul. Rahul looked good right from the first ball as India were tested right throughout the day by a disciplined Sri Lankan attack. He batted through as wickets fell around him.
India at 319 for the loss of six wickets with Rohit Sharma getting out leg before to Angelo Mathews for a score of 79 which forced the umpires to call it stumps.
Rahul having shared a third-wicket stand of 164 with skipper Virat Kohli (78) after the tourists had slumped to 12-2 by the fifth over of the match. Rahul though went from strength and strength and both he and Kohli took India towards 200.
Rahul though kept on playing positively to register his second Test ton in three games. He got good support from Rohit Sharma who came in at no. 5. But soon he fell trying to pull Dushmantha Chameera over the on side. His wicket saw Stuart Binny come in ahead of Wriddhiman Saha. He holed out to Herath and India were in trouble at 267 for 5.
Kohli was dismissed late in the post-lunch session, caught low at first slip by his Sri Lankan counterpart Angelo Mathews as he went to cut left-arm spinner Rangana Herath.
The 23-year-old Rahul, who hit a century against Australia in Sydney in only his second Test earlier this year, made amends for scores of seven and five at Galle with delightful strokeplay.
Rahul, dropped at gully by Jehan Mubarak off Dushmantha Chameera when he was on 11, has so far hit 12 boundaries and a six.
Kohli smashed eight fours and a six before he was out against the run of play, but Rohit Sharma continued India's aggressive intent with a six and four in one Herath over.
Some 6,000 home fans at the P. Sara Oval applauded as Sri Lanka's batting great Kumar Sangakkara was welcomed onto the field in his last Test with a guard of honour by young children holding raised bats.
Opener Murali Vijay, who replaced the injured Shikhar Dhawan in one of the three changes made by India, was trapped leg-before by Dhammika Prasad off the fourth ball of the innings before he had scored.
Prasad struck again in his third over when Ajinkya Rahane drove at a wide ball and edged an easy catch to Dimuth Karunaratne at third slip.
Brief scores
India - 319/6 (Rahul 108, Rohit 79, Kohli 78)
