IND vs SL | 1st Test | Day 1: Rishabh Pant's batting masterclass puts India in driver's seat

India wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant was in dismay when a delivery from Suranga Lakmal went through and dismantled the woodwork behind him during the first Test in Mohali. The left-handed batter was cleaned up for a well-compiled 96, missing out on yet another hundred. 

Pant had walked out to bat after Virat Kohli who is playing his 100th Test was dismissed by Embuldeniya for 45. The former skipper’s dismissal was followed by Vihari's wicket in quick succession, leaving the hosts at 175/4. 

Shreyas Iyer then came out to bat at number 6 and provided the resistance along with Pant as the two chipped in with some runs but Iyer's departure once again pushed India on the back foot. 

Pant now needed someone who could steady the ship with him and Ravindra Jadeja did exactly the same. India were 228/5 when the two left-handers came in for the rescue and initially played with caution. 

But once Pant got settled in, he played his strokes and in fact scored 22 runs in one of Embuldeniya’s overs. The wicket-keeper batsman’s knock of 97-ball 96 comprised four maximums and 9 fours during the course. Pant and Jadeja together put up a stand of 104 runs for the sixth wicket. 

India’s steady start

Earlier, Rohit Sharma after winning the toss elected to bat first and he along with Mayank Agarwal provided the side with a brilliant start. The two openers didn’t really shy away from putting away the bad deliveries to the boundary and scored 52 runs for the first wicket before the new skipper was caught at deep fine leg by Lakmal off Lahiru Kumara, courtesy a good short delivery. 

Sharma pulled the ball in the air but found the fielder to get out for 29. Mayank was then joined by Hanuma. The two batters were looking pretty steady at one stage but Embuldeniya got into the act and removed Agarwal for 33 after trapping him in front of the stumps, leaving India in a spot of bother at 80/2. 

Mayank was replaced by Kohli who came out to bat at number four. The former captain and Vihari made sure that they didn't lose any further wickets in the first session and took India to 109/2 at lunch. 

Sri Lanka fightback

The Lankan Lions scripted a perfect fightback in the second session of Day 1. Kohli and Vihari had added 61 more runs to the tally from where they had left and were now looking dangerous to hand India a foundation for a big score. 

But that didn’t really happen as Embuldeniya breached Kohli’s defence while he was trying to block a length delivery on the back foot. The right-hander certainly misjudged the turn and was cleaned up for 45. 

Kohli’s departure was soon followed by Vihari’s wicket who played one from Vishwa Fernando on to his stumps and was sent back in the hut for 58. India lost another wicket in the form of Shreyas Iyer later on. Iyer was out LBW to Dhanajaya de Silva for 27. 

But riding on the partnership between Pant and Jadeja, India turned fortunes once again and ended the day’s proceedings at 357/6.