Sri Lanka vs India 2017, 1st Test: Day 2, 5 talking points

Sri Lanka slid to 154/5 (read 6 courtesy Asela Gunaratne's injury) as India tightened their grip on day 2 of the first Test at the Galle. Resuming on their overnight score, India lost four wickets for 104 runs before lunch with Cheteshwar Pujara dismissed by a relentless Nuwan Pradeep for 153. Hardik Pandya and Mohammad Shami provided some fireworks with the former smashing a half-century on debut as India finished on 600.

Upul Tharanga seemed to have taken a liking to Dhawan's approach on day 1 and started the innings with some punchy strokes even as his partner, Dimuth Karunaratne, made a mess of a review to walk back to the pavilion. Debutant Gunathilaka hung around for some time as Tharanga dug into an otherwise incisive Umesh Yadav. Shami broke the back of Lanka's counter-attack though, with two wickets in an over.

Angelo Mathews joined Tharanga and the duo put on a more mature stand as India operated with their spinners. Tharanga raced to his fastest half-century in Tests, off 44 balls, before a moment of madness saw him run himself out. Ashwin grabbed the vital wicket of Niroshan Dickwella late in the day courtesy a fabulous catch by Abhinav Mukund to have Lanka on the mat at stumps.

Brief Scores: India 600 (Dhawan 190, Pujara 153, Pradeep 6/132) Sri Lanka 154/5 (Tharanga 64, Mathews 54*, Shami 2/30)

Here are the talking points from the day's play at Galle.

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#5 Nuwan Pradeep holds Lankan attack together

Pradeep grabbed his first fifer in Tests and went on to add a sixth

Pradeep was Sri Lanka's only bowler to exert some sort of pressure on the Indian batsmen on day 1. Even as Lahiru Kumara and Dilruwan Perera sprayed the ball about, Pradeep kept attacking the fourth stump line, causing trouble to the Indian batsmen, including the sturdy Pujara.

He started day 2 with a bang after getting all three wickets to fall on day 1. The consistent lines and seam movement accounted for Pujara, who rarely pushes at anything without uncertainty. The pressure exerted by Pradeep was evident in Pujara's push which resulted in an outside edge that was snapped up by Niroshan Dickwella. Pradeep had taken 4 out of the first 4 wickets to fall.

He went on to add the wicket of Ashwin to complete his first 5-wicket haul in Test cricket and made it 6 with a thumping yorker to Jadeja after the lunch break.

#4 Indian lower order make merry

Hardik Pandya smashed a half-century on his debut

There was widespread criticism when India opted to go with Hardik Pandya instead of Kuldeep Yadav. The seam bowling all-rounder silenced one and all with a rapid half-century studded with several sublime strokes in his debut innings.

India were 491/6 when Pandya walked in at the fall of Saha's wicket. Ashwin had already showcased India's lower order strength with a well made 47 and Pandya wasted no time in revealing his intentions, stepping out and lifting Herath over his head off the third ball he faced.

He found an equally aggressive partner is Mohammad Shami, who took a special liking to Herath. The veteran spinner was slogged through the line several times while Pandya dug into Pradeep with some hooks and street smart flicks. The duo put on 62 in less than 9 overs. Pandya fell soon after his half-century as the Indian innings closed at 600.

#3 Karunaratne's horror review

Umesh Yadav trapped Dimuth Karunaratne in front with a beautiful inswinger

Sri Lanka needed a solid start in reply to India's mammoth score and Karunaratne seemed so obsessed with the need that when an Umesh Yadav delivery struck him right in front of middle stump and the umpire ruled him out, he opted for a bizarre review. There was no inside edge and the ball would have undoubtedly crashed into the stumps.

Even the third umpire, Rod T seemed puzzled by Sri Lanka's review that he commented, "Doesn't look like a great review, does it?". Teams have struggled to use the DRS wisely, especially in Test cricket with the past few months throwing up quite a few such incidents. This one from Karunaratne was inexcusable though.

#2 Shami's double blow

Shami broke through with two in an over to peg back Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka had lost Karunaratne early but debutant, Gunathilaka, and Upul Tharanga had consolidated since then with the latter playing some astounding shots off Umesh Yadav. Just when it looked like Sri Lanka had settled down on the batting paradise, the debutant slashed at a Shami delivery to edge to first slip, ending the 61-run association.

'One brings another' goes the saying and it held true when Kusal Mendis played a tame shot to Shami's nippy back of the length delivery and edged to Dhawan at first slip.

Lanka had lost 2 wickets on 68 and Shami had triggered the slide in one tidy over. If the first one was a wild shot, Mendis' delivery was an absolute peach that squared up the batsman completely.

#1 Tharanga smothers Indian attack before bizarre run-out

Upul Tharanga played some eye-catching strokes in a run a ball half-century

Upul Tharanga started Lanka's first innings with a bout of boundaries, all well-timed, sublime strokes through the off-side. He was unforgiving outside the off-stump with anything short slammed past point with a horizontal bat. A couple of drives off Umesh were creamed through the covers as Tharanga revealed his intentions to fight fire with fire.

When Ashwin was brought on, the southpaw displayed exemplary patience and changed his approach a tad bit. He was more circumspect although he did not waste any opportunity to rock back on a shorter length ball. However, he fell to a bizarre moment of madness.

He pushed an Ashwin ball to silly point, who made a cheeky attempt to run Tharanga out, only to miss the stumps. But the batsman had lost footing and fell down as his bat, which had crossed the crease, popped up the moment Saha removed the bails. A flamboyant knock, a run a ball half-century, had come to an unfortunate end.