India put on a brilliant batting show on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, leaving the hosts in big trouble. The plan for India on day two will be to take the first innings score well past the 500 mark, before bringing that scoreboard pressure into play.
Shikhar Dhawan was the star man for India, with the left-hander scoring 190 runs in well over a run a ball, in an innings filled with boundaries, boundaries and more boundaries to set the game up for India.
Cheteshwar Pujara was typically solid and calm, while also helping himself to a century. With Dhawan gone, the responsibility lies with Pujara, who is currently involved in a 113-run partnership with Ajinkya Rahane.
While Virat Kohli decided to bolster the batting a little bit more by playing the all-rounder Hardik Pandya instead of a pure bowler, these two will need to steady the India innings, once again, on day two morning, before looking to take that total well past the mark where the batsmen won't need to come out and perform in the middle again.
The Sri Lanka bowlers looked well below par on the opening day, struggling to find solutions when Dhawan went berserk in the second session.
As good as Dhawan and Pujara and the rest of the Indian batsmen played, this Lanka bowling lineup looked seriously shorn of firepower, with Rangana Herath rendered ineffective by a flat pitch.
Yet, on a batting beauty, the key for any bowling team is to cut out the flow of runs, and that is where Sri Lanka failed, allowing Dhawan to smash his way to a 168-ball 190. When you leak runs at such a high rate, you put yourself in a position from where a comeback becomes really difficult.
Sri Lanka need to find their bowling mojo on Day 2 of this first Test, bowl India out as quickly as they can before taking advantage of the batting beauty that has been rolled out in Galle. If they do that, they might have a chance.
However, India will know, another 150-200 runs and they will be calling all the shots for the remainder of this Test match, and that is something Sri Lanka cannot afford.
Pujara will, no doubt, have his eye on another double century, while Rahane, who was watchful in that final session of the opening day, will look to push on a little bit more and get India to that declarable score as quickly as possible.
When and where to watch live
Ind v SL first Test, Day 2 is set to begin at 10am local time, 10am IST, 6.30am CET, 5.30am BST, 12.30am ET. TV and live streaming information for the second day of this Test match in Galle is below.
India: TV: Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony Ten 3, Sony Ten 3 HD (Hindi). Live Streaming: Sonyliv.
Sri Lanka and Indian sub-continent: TV: Sony Ten.
USA: TV: Willow TV. Live Streaming: Willow TV Online.
