Sri Lanka came prepared in the second Test. Unlike Galle, a much slower pitch was on offer in Colombo. Three spinners – Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera and Malinda Pushpakumara – were included. But the result of the toss and Indian batters dismantled every strategy of the opposition.
Skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first. Opener KL Rahul struck fifty on his return, while Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane amassed unbeaten centuries on Day 1 to put India in firm control as they ended the day’s play at 344/3.
Here are all the important stats from Day 1.
0 – India are the first team to score 300+ runs on first day of two consecutive Tests in Sri Lanka (399 in Galle and 344 in Colombo)
1 – First instance of two Indian players reaching individual hundreds on the first day in two consecutive away Tests (Shikhar Dhawan, Pujara in Gall and Pujara and Rahane in Colombo)
– Pujara became the joint third-fastest Indian player to score 4,000 runs in Tests alongside Rahul Dravid in 84 innings. Sunil Gavaskar achieved the feat in 81 innings, Virender Sehwag did it in 79
3 – Pujara is the only batsman to score three centuries in three Tests in Sri Lanka
5 – The Gujarat cricketer is the fifth batsman to complete 4,000 runs in his fiftieth Test
6 – KL Rahul scored his sixth consecutive fifty. Joint most for any Indian player in Tests alongside Gundappa Vishwanath & Dravid
7 – Pujara became the seventh India to score a hundred in his 50th Test. The other six includes Virat Kohli, VVS Laxman, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Viswanath and Polly Umrigar
9 – Rahane struck his 9th Test century for India on Day 1. His 6th overseas ton
13 – This was Pujara’s 13 Test ton
50 – This was also the right-handed batsman’s 50th Test for India
Feature image: BCCI