India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test: Home side starts briskly on Session 1 at Mohali

Mohali, March 4: India made a brisk start to the first Test against Sri Lanka on Session 1 of the first day here at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Friday (March 4).

At lunch, India reached 109 for 2 in 26 overs bowled in the first session. Hanuma Vihari, who batted at No 3, is unbeaten on 30 while Virat Kohli, who is playing his 100th Test, is batting on 15.

Earlier, India lost the wickets of openers Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal.

India maintained a scoring rate of more than four runs per over during the session largely due to the 15 boundaries hit during the morning. Hanuma Vihari (30 batting), who replaced Cheteshwar Pujara as India's new number three, looked solid.

But the stand-out shot came from the 'Man of the Moment' Virat Kohli (15 batting), who got a warm ovation from a sizeable crowd. His straight drive off left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando was perfect to the last inch and a work of art on the PCA Stadium turf.

He walked in at 11 am exactly after the fall of Agarwal's wicket and next half an hour looked as solid as he has ever been.

For Sri Lanka, pacer Lahiru Kumara (6-1-29-1) and left-arm spinner Lasith Embduldeniya (7-0-19-1) got a wicket apiece after Rohit and Agarwal sent the islanders on a leather hunt initially.

Rohit first clipped Suranga Lakmal, playing his final series, towards mid-wicket boundary and then also played his signature short-arm pull off Kumara towards deep mid-wicket.

However, Kumara again dug one short, which was pulled but found the fielder at deep fine leg, having already hit six boundaries.

Agarwal, at the other end, did get a few boundaries but they were streaky ones before Embuldeniya trapped him on the front-leg after beating the bat.

Embuldeniya, who has risen up the ranks, got the ball to turn and keep low in the first session itself which will certainly be a pleasing sight for Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.