1st Test: Bowlers give India upper hand against struggling Sri Lanka on Day 2

Galle, July 27: India took an upper hand at stumps on the second day of the opening Test with Sri Lanka trailing by 446 runs with five wickets in hand in their first innings at Galle International Stadium here on Thursday (July 27).

Day 1 Report" title="Ind-SL series schedule; ; Day 1 Report" />Ind-SL series schedule; ; Day 1 Report

India lead Sri Lanka by 446 runs after pacers Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav rattled the hosts' top order with the new ball.

After losing three wickets in quick succession at the start of the innings, Sri Lanka were 154/5 with middle-order batsman Angelo Mathews (54 batting) and Dilruwan Perera (6 batting) unbeaten at stumps.

Sri Lanka got off to a shaky start as they lost opener Dimuth Karunaratne (2) cheaply with just seven runs on the board.

Shami, then, pushed the hosts further on the backfoot by removing Danushka Gunathalika (16) and Kusal Mendis (0) in the same over. Shami (2/30) was the pick of Indian bowlers as visitors maintained pressure overs hosts.

Upul Tharanga (64) offered the resistance the team wanted but he was dismissed in an unlucky fashion via run out putting the hosts in a spot of bother. The left-handed batsman slammed his eighth half-century before getting dismissed.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan bowlers, however, hit back after a rather lacklustre opening day with pacer Nuwan Pradeep returning figures of 5/25.

The day began in a promising fashion for the Indians with Cheteshwar Pujara crossing the 150-run mark before Ajinkya Rahane brought up his half-century in style, stepping out to hit a Rangana Herath delivery to the mid-on boundary.

But the tide was destined to turn soon. Pujara was the first to go when Pradeep produced an excellent delivery which moved slightly away after pitching at a perfect length on the off-stump.

Pujara was totally outfoxed as the ball took the outer edge on its way into the gloves of Lankan wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella.

Rahane was the next to go. The Mumbai batsman mistimed an attempted drive off Lahiru Kumara only to see the ball take the outer edge and Dimuth Karunaratne pull of a superb diving effort at first slip.

The visitors plunged into further trouble when Wriddhiman Saha and Ravichandran Ashwin also went back in successive overs.

Ashwin had started in nervous fashion, almost handing Pradeep a wicket when he edged the first ball he faced. But the ball dropped just short of the fielder at gully. Aswhin enjoyed another piece of luck immediately after when he hit out at the next ball and was lucky not to offer an easy top edge behind the stumps.

The Chennai lad settled down gradually and notched up a well made 47 off 60 balls before a poor piece of shot selection to a short pitched delivery by Pradeep denied him his half-century.

OneIndia News/IANS