KL Rahul ton highlights India on even day

About half an hour before the close of play on the opening day, India looked seemingly set to head back to the dressing room with the advantage. But a timely strike from Angelo Mathews during the fag end made honours even on an eventful day one of the Colombo Test. India are 319 for 6, a decent score considering what it comprises of - KL Rahul's second Test century and fifties from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but just not strong enough if you are to assume how much batting is left.
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India had partnerships, but lost wickets at crucial junctures. Their sixth-wicket alliance between Rohit and Wriddhiman Saha worth 52 runs was heading in the right direction before Mathews stuck at the stroke of stumps. Rohit had batted genuinely well for 79, looked good for one of those centuries he got against the West Indies in late 2013 but that wasn't to be. Saha is unbeaten on 19 and he will be hoping for resistance from the lower order if India are to put at least 450 on the board.
Match Scorecard
There were plenty of positives for India. Rahul, much like he did in Australia, overcame the horror of the first game with a well-timed century (108). So did Rohit (79), who, just six days back was trolled on all social platforms regarding his struggle with the bat in Tests. And if that wasn't enough, Virat Kohli continued his sublime form as skipper with a stroke-filled 78.
However, the most improved was Rohit, who by the time stumps were drawn, cut an authoritative figure after a nerve-jangling start. He and Saha safely negotiated the second new ball. Of course, they were aided by the lifeless P Sara Oval pitch, but their effort still can't be undermined considering the amount of pressure both were under.
The pair joined hands after Stuart Binny played perhaps the second-most careless shot of his career - the first one being his dismissal in the Lord's Test last July. His 40-ball 10 was painstaking, and the ball often missed his bat and thudded onto his pads. His wicket was a crucial moment for India.
Rohit settled in after another yet another not-so convincing start. In fact, it was in Saha's company that he found his feet. His strike rate improved and soon he was batting on 45 off 70 balls. He had cracked a four and a six before the teams took the tea break, and once he returned for the final session, grew in confidence. Rohit reached his fifty off 93 balls and soon after, swatted three fours a six in a ten-delivery span before being trapped leg before for 79. Mathews set Rohit up nicely, following two away swingers with one that jagged back in, leaving India wounded with a late blow.
The bulk of India's scoring was done by the top order. Once the sky cleared after a brief spell of rain and Kumar Sangakkara walked out to a guard of honour, India were restricted to 12 for 2 before Kohli and Rahul came together to steady the ship. Dhammika Prasad exploited the early swinging conditions and it made life difficult for the visitors in the first hour, where they lost returning opener Murali Vijay for nought and promoted batsman Ajinkya Rahane for 4.
An audacious shot off Dushmantha Chameera saw Rahul dropped by Jehan Mubarak at gully for 11, but other than that, there were no lapses. Kohli's India had scored 109 runs at over four for the loss of one wicket during the second session and the 164-run stand between Rahul and Kohli was the highest third-wicket partnership for India in Colombo.
Chameera was wayward, and both Kohli and Rahul were up to the task. India's plans were clear - to go after the reason behind their fall in Galle - and they did exactly that by using their feet well to Rangana Herath. Kohli and Rahul danced down the track to dispatch Herath over boundary rope. Kohli brought up his 11th half-century in Tests off 63 balls, fairly quicker than that of his partner's, who took 94 deliveries to get there.
As Herath settled in, he was rewarded with the wicket of Kohli. It was more of Mathews' wicket really, as he plucked a one-handed stunner at the lone slip to end the solid stand. At the other end, Rahul found gaps at ease. That he looked extremely comfortable was visible by the fact that he executed every shot that there is - the drive, pull, sweep and even the late-cut. He was on 98 when the teams went in for the tea break.
Thereafter, he took three deliveries to register his second three-digit score for India. Sri Lanka though, finally broke the stand when the Karnataka batsman, attempting a full-blooded hook, found nowhere near the middle of his bat and was out caught.
Brief Scores: India 319 for 6 (KL rahul 108, Rohit Sharma 79; Dhammika Prasad 2 for 72)
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