India vs Sri Lanka 2017, 2nd Test, Day 1: 5 things we learnt from the day

#4 Karunaratne shows grit and mettle

Karunaratne has been in exceptional touch of late

There is no doubting who Sri Lanka's best bet with the bat in Test cricket currently is. The southpaw, Dimuth Karunaratne, has been a lonely figure in Sri Lanka's top order, churning out hard runs while his teammates succumbed meekly. He is only the second batsman after Dean Elgar to notch up 1000 Test runs in 2017. A batting average of 43.47 and three hundreds decorate his year.

The Lankan opener was once again grinding it out in the middle in an intense session where the Indian seamers and spinners relentlessly probed the right channels. The composure and technique he displayed stood out in his half-century. It seemed like he was headed towards another three-figure mark when Ishant Sharma ran in and trapped him in front.