Nuwan Pradeep scalps three as India ride high: Dhawan, Pujara flay centuries

Nuwan Pradeep’s extra pace fetched him all three India wickets to fall in India’s 399 for 3 on a docile wicket on the opening day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and India at the Galle Stadium yesterday. On a day India’s second wicket pair of Shikhar Dhawan and C. Pujara flogged centuries in a record 273-run partnership, Pradeep bowled his heart out and checked it from assuming even more dangerous proportions when he had Dhawan caught at mid off by Angelo Mathews just before tea for 190. The right arm pace man struck swift double blows when he removed star batsman skipper Virat Kohli for the addition of 6 runs beating him by extra pace as Kohli edged a flying delivery to wicket keeper Niroshan Dickwella to make it 286 for 3 soon after tea. It was the continuation of a bad run for Kohli who has made just 49 runs in his last six test innings.

At the outset, Pradeep had sent back opener A. Mukund who was also taken by Dickwella when the total was 27. But any further hopes of Sri Lanka making early inroads was thwarted by the Dhwan-Pujara alliance as they ground the pace-spin Sri Lanka attack to the dust as both hogged personal milestones. bt Dhawan’s struck an aggressive190 off 168 balls, his first fifty coming off 62 balls, and his second fifty off 48 and third off 37. His century contained 16 boundaries in a great comeback from having lost his place and making the tour only as a second option following injury to the regular opener.

The pair established a record126-run second-highest before lunch and tea by an Indian in a single session of play. by an Indian pair and tea was the by an Indian in a single session of play. Virender Sehwag has a record 133 of 293 in the final session against Sri Lanka at the Brabourne Stadium

Dhawan’s last Test hundred was also at Galle – 134 in August 2015. Pujara was unbeaten on 144 for his12th Test hundred and second against Sri Lanka off 246 balls with 12 fours. Rahane was on 39.

It was a bad day for Sri Lanka having seen Dhawan let off in the slips at 31 by Asela Gunaratne off Lahiru Kuymara. It endived in a double casualty with Gunaratne, who dived to his left at second slip had a finger torn that put him out of action for the match.

By Srian Obeyesekere

-The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sri Lanka Cricket-