Ajinkya Rahane scored an unbeaten hundred but skipper Virat Kohli's poor form continued as the touring Indians put up 314 for six on the opening day of their only three-day tour game against Sri Lanka Board President's XI in Colombo, on Thursday.
Put in to bat, openers Lokesh Rahul (43) and Shikhar Dhawan (62) gave the visitors a solid 108-run start but the batting wobbled after their departure.
Rohit Sharma (7) and Kohli (8) fell in quick succession as medium-pacer Kasun Rajitha (3-47) made his presence felt in the President XI ranks as the Indians lost four wickets for 25 runs in the post-lunch session.
Struggling at 133 for four, Rahane (109 not out) and Cheteshwar Pujara (42) then go together to stitch a 134-run fifth-wicket partnership and rebuild the Indian innings.
Pujara and Rahane defied the hosts until tea with the scorecard reading 175 for four. The two scored at a brisk pace, bringing up the 50-partnership in the 49th over. Rahane brought up his half-century, which included five fours, off 59 balls.
Their 100-runs partnership came up in the 59th over as the duo scored at 4.75 per over during their 28.1-over stay together at the crease.
Pujara slowed down a little as spin was introduced to make up for the slow over-rate and that hesitation cost him his wicket in the 66th over.
Rahane, though, carried on in the same vein as the Maharashtra-born batsman got to his century with a boundary against Jeffery Vandersay (2-76).
Rahane has struck 11 fours and a six in his 127-run stay so far as he helped India manage a healthy run-rate of 3.97 through the day.
The in-form batsman had got the company of Ravichnadran Ashwin (10 not out) at the end of the day's play as the duo managed an unbeaten 41-run partnership.
Scorecard
Indians (1st innings):
Lokesh Rahul c Gunathilaka b Nisala Gamage 43
Shikhar Dhawan c Perera b Rajitha 62
Rohit Sharma b Rajitha 7
Virat Kohli c Siriwardana b Rajitha 8
Ajinkya Rahane not out 109
Cheteshwar Pujara c Pathirana b Vandersay 42
Wriddhiman Saha c Thirimanne b Vandersay 3
Ravichandran Ashwin not out 10
Extras: (b 7, lb 10, w 4, nb 9) 30
Total: (6 wickets; 79 overs) 314 (3.97 runs per over)
Fall of wickets: 1-108, 2-121, 3-130, 4-133, 5-267, 6-273
Bowling: Vishwa Fernando 15-2-29-0, Nisala Gamage 15-2-65-1, Kasun Rajitha 13-2-47-3, Jeffrey Vandersay 20-1-76-2, Lahiru Gamage 13-2-66-0, Milinda Siriwardana 3-1-14-0.
Image: Ajinkya Rahane
Photograph: Getty Images
