India post 116/2 at lunch on Day 1 of Kotla Test (Lead Lunch)

India posted 116/2 at lunch on the opening day of the third and final cricket Test against Sri Lanka at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Saturday.

Opener Murali Vijay (51 batting) and skipper Virat Kohli (17 batting) were undivided at the break after India lost the other opener Shikhar Dhawan (23) and Cheteshwar Pujara (23) in quick succession.

Electing to bat after winning the toss on a placid Kotla track, the Indian opening duo gave a solid 42-run start before Dhawan gifted his wicket away to a harmless Dilruwan Perera off-break delivery.

Coming off a break, the southpaw looked in good control during his brief 35-ball knock, laced with four boundaries before a top edge off a sweep brought his downfall.

With the wicket, Perera became the fastest Sri Lankan to 100 wickets.

The fall of Dhawan brought in Pujara, who looked equally fluent during his 39-ball innings, comprising four hits to the fence.

But the Saurashtra batsman fell to yet another soft dismissal of the morning when he attempted to clip a good length ball from Lahiru Gamage towards the on-side only to find Sadeera Samarawickrama at leg gully.

With two wickets down for 78 runs, in walked skipper Virat Kohli amid loud cheers from his home crowd.

Kohli responded to the cheers by cracking a brilliant boundary off only the third delivery even as Vijay joined the party with his trademark drives.

Fresh from a brilliant century in the second Test at Nagpur, the Tamil Nadu opener continued to haunt the islanders with his exquisite timing to gradually reach his 17th Test half century.

The right-hander fired seven boundaries en-route his 67-ball unbeaten 51. Kohli, on the other hand, consumed 22 deliveries in his brief knock, laced with three hits to the fence.

For the visitors, Gamage and Perera were the only wicket-takers in the first session.

Brief scores: India 116/2 (Murali Vijay 51 batting, Shikhar Dhawan 23, Cheteshwar Pujara 23, Virat Kohli 17 batting; Lahiru Gamage 1/28, Dilruwan Perera 1/33) vs Sri Lanka.

--IANS

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