IND vs SL 2022: 3 observations from Day 1 of 1st Test as India take control

After smashing Sri Lanka in the T20I series, a confident India took the ascendancy on day one of the first Test of the two-match series in Mohali. Captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and had no hesitancy in batting first on a track that looked like a perfect batting strip.

India got off to a bright start courtesy of Mayank Agarwal and Rohit Sharma, but Sri Lanka hit back with two wickets in the second hour. Virat Kohli then joined Hanuma Vihari in the center and the duo put India back on track. The hosts dominated Sri Lanka for the rest of the day as Rishabh Pant went berserk before being dismissed for 96.

Here we take a look at 3 observations from Day 1 of the 1st India vs Sri Lanka Test match:

3.) Consistent partnerships give India the edge

Consistent partnerships put India in the driver's seat

Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first on a batting-friendly surface. A number of Indian batters got starts, but none could kick on and score big. However, there were consistent partnerships that never allowed Sri Lanka to pick up two quick wickets and helped India take control of the match.

Mayank Agarwal and Rohit Sharma added 50 for the first wicket and this trend continued throughout the day. Vihari looked solid at number 3, and built a crucial partnership with Virat Kohli. It was then followed by another partnership between Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant. The hosts ended the day with Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant bossing the proceedings.

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2.) Rishabh Pant's stunning assault

Rishabh Pant was at his sensational best

Rishabh Pant walked into bat at number 5 as the team management wanted a left-hander to counter the threat of Lasith Embuldeniya, who had been troubling the right-hand batsmen.

This had an immediate impact on the field as Dimuth Karunaratne pushed fielders on the boundary ropes. However, Pant was very clever in assessing his options and playing the odd aggressive stroke to keep the Sri Lankan bowlers on the backfoot.

After cruising to his half-century, he broke loose as he looted 22 runs off Embuldeniya's over and kept charging at the spinners.

Pant has been very consistent in Tests and this innings showcased his importance to the Men in Blue. "He is putting on an exhibition," said Harsha Bhogle as Pant went on an assault and it summarized his performance.

Pant was eventually knocked over by Suranga Lakmal for 96, but not before he put the hosts in a dominant position.

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1.) Virat Kohli's wait for a ton continues

Virat Kohli looked solid before he misjudged the length of the ball

The stage was set for Virat Kohli to walk out and get to his long-awaited ton. He looked in control against the pacers and spinners and was stitching up a solid partnership with Hanuma Vihari.

The Men in Blue were coasting along and Sri Lanka were on the defensive. The assured foot movement, the leaves outside the off stump and the disciplined defense were all back. There was a sense of calm to the way Kohli was batting in this innings.

However, against the run of play, Lasith Embuldeniya landed the ball at length on middle and off stump and got it to spin just enough to miss the bat and kiss the top of off stump.

Interestingly, ball-tracking showed that Kohli had been on the front foot to similar deliveries of the same length throughout his stay. However, considering the trajectory of the ball, he decided to rock back as the ball spun past his attempted defense.