Centurions Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane build strong platform for yet another huge India total on Day One against Sri Lanka at Sinhalese Sports Club
Cheteshwar Pujara
The more things change, the more they stay the same. After being blown away by India on a batting beauty in Galle, Sri Lanka hoped that spin would bring them relief. Known Pradeep was the lone fast bowler in an attack that included three specialist spinners. But, either Dinesh Chandimal and the think tank misread the pitch at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground or were over-optimistic about how much it would aid the slow bowlers.
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Yet another batting day
On yet another batting day for India, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were unseparated at stumps, having added 211 for the fourth wicket. Sri Lanka gave themselves a sniff early on trapping Shikhar Dhawan in front, cashing in on a bit of miscommunication between KL Rahul and Pujara and snapping Kohli up at slip to reduce the visitors to 130 for three. But, as the ball got older and did not quite spit off the surface or bounce alarmingly, the Mumbai school of batsmanship took over, almost on auto-pilot. Pujara, born and bred in Gujarat but having fine-tuned his game in Mumbai for three years when he was 11, and Rahane, who has taken the step up from feasting on bowlers in the Ranji Trophy to powering India's middle order in Tests, gave the bowlers little chance.
Ajinkya Rahane celebrate their hundreds against Sri Lanka in Colombo yesterday. Pic/AP,PTI
While Pujara favoured the back foot, and the leg side, comfortably knocking the ball into the gaps, Rahane played straight, driving with confidence and composure. While the pace of play was not the quickest — and there was no need for that on the first day of a Test — the manner in which India dominated the bowlers, playing with solidity and control, left Dinesh Chandimal, Sri Lanka's captain, searching for answers. India had a comfortable 344 on the board when stumps were drawn, Pujara batting on 128 in his 50th Test and Rahane ready to stay Day 2 afresh on 103.
Wrong selection?
Nic Pothas, the former Greece and South Africa cricketer who is Sri Lanka's interim coach, insisted he was "not disappointed" with his team's bowling but conceded that they would have been happier if the pitch did more for the spinners. "You guys have watched enough cricket," said Pothas to the media. "When you go into a game with three spinners and one seamer, you have a good idea as to what to look forward to."
For India, the story of the day might have been the Pujara-Rahane partnership, but Thursday marked the return of KL Rahul, who was run out on 54 when he looked good for much more. Missing months of cricket because of a shoulder injury that needed surgery, Rahul was keen as mustard. "It doesn't make me desperate but it does make me a lot more hungry. It makes me value each opportunity a lot more," said Rahul who was not at all concerned that he has failed to convert a fifty into a hundred.
"I've never chased numbers. My job as an opening batsman is to give the team a good start, and I think I've done that. Disappointing that I couldn't convert that, but I think that will keep me more hungry."
211
Number of runs Pujara and Rahane have added for the fourth wicket partnership
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