Sri Lanka vs. India, 2nd Test, Day 1: Lokesh Rahul and Rohit Sharma in the Runs
Sri Lanka struck a late blow to leave India on 319 for six at stumps on the opening day of the second Test.
The hosts removed Rohit Sharma, trapped leg before wicket by Angelo Mathews for 79, in the final over on Thursday in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Lokesh Rahul had earlier hit 108 as India—1-0 down in the series after losing in Galle—recovered from a shaky start that saw them slip to 12 for two inside five overs.
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Here are a few takeaways from the action at the P Sara Oval.
Opening up
Cricket at the highest level is all about taking your opportunities.
Had Shikhar Dhawan not fractured his hand while fielding during the series opener, Rahul may have not been playing in the second Test.
He only featured in the first game in Galle due to Murali Vijay, India’s other first-choice opener alongside Dhawan, being ruled out with a hamstring injury.
The fit-again Vijay was back at the top of the order for India in Colombo but marked his return with a four-ball duck.
Rahul, however, cashed in on the chance to keep his place in the XI.
The right-hander was eventually dismissed in the final session for 108, caught out trying to hook Dushmantha Chameera, who had been drafted in to play for Sri Lanka due to an injury to Nuwan Pradeep.
Rahul's list of knocks for India in Test cricket now reads: 3, 1, 110, 16, 7, 5 and 108. His other century came in Australia, showing he has the talent and the temperament to score runs in all conditions.
He has also given the selectors a headache once Dhawan—who hit a hundred himself in the first Test—is fit to return, as pointed out by ESPN Cricinfo's Sambit Bal on Twitter:
Three is not the magic number
Ajinkya Rahane was the latest player to bat at three in India's order.
The early results from the experiment were not good—the right-hander made just four before edging seamer Dhammika Prasad to third slip.
More accustomed to batting in the middle order, Rahane was tempted into driving on the up at an away swinger. All he did, though, was provide Dimuth Karunaratne with a bit of catching practice.
Rohit Sharma came in at the fall of the first wicket in the opening Test, but in Colombo, he was pushed down to five in the order. Some on Twitter felt the switch in roles was not fair to Rahane:
Sharma did seem more at home in the middle order, making a half-century before he was dismissed just four balls before the close of play. It was a frustrating finish after he had done all the hard work.
Previously, Cheteshwar Pujara batted at three for India. However, lean tours to England and Australia saw him lose his place in the side.
Yet Rahul Dravid—a man who knows plenty about coming in at three for India, having averaged 52.88 when batting in the position during his Test career—believes Pujara will come again, telling ESPN Cricinfo: "I personally feel he'll be fine. He's still got the technique, he's got the game, the temperament."
Singh when you're finished
Harbhajan Singh was dropped from India’s XI for the second Test. The writing had been on the wall, as highlighted by Bleacher Report before the match.
The veteran spinner lost his place after taking one for 90 in Galle. Commentator Harsha Bhogle suggested on Twitter that it could be the end of the line for Harbhajan in Test cricket:
While Harbhajan's individual performance in the first Test was disappointing, he also paid the price for India's failure to chase down a target of 176 in the final innings of the contest.
Stuart Binny was drafted into the side to bolster the batting. The all-rounder had not even been named in the initial touring squad but found himself selected at the P Sara Oval after only recently joining up with his team-mates.
The move didn't quite pay off on Day 1—Binny laboured to 10 from 40 deliveries before he was caught in the deep.
His recall was not universally approved, and he will need to have an impact with the ball to justify his place.
Sangakkara watch
It was a quiet opening day for Kumar Sangakkara in his final Test. The former Sri Lanka captain did, however, receive a guard of honour as he came out to field:
He is likely to be in the spotlight when he comes to the crease on Friday, provided the home team can work their way through India's lower order.
Sangakkara will be hoping to sign off in style as he brings the curtain down on his international career. But no matter how many runs he scores, he is already confirmed as a modern-day great:
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