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Match Report:

Scorecard

Dhawan, Pujara have India in control

Centuries to India opener Shikhar Dhawan and No.3 Cheteshwar Puajara cap a dominant day for the visitors on a flat track

Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara hit big centuries as India reached 3-399 at the end of the first day of the opening Test against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

Dhawan smashed 190 and Pujara was undefeated on 144 at the close.

The pair put on 253 for the second wicket to set India on course for a big first innings total after skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat in Galle.

Quick Single: Dhawan dynamite blows Lanka away

Ajinkya Rahane (39) was Pujara's partner when stumps were drawn. Paceman Nuwan Pradeep was the most successful bowler for the hosts, taking all three wickets to fall for 64 runs.

Dhawan smashed a career-best 190 on his return to Test cricket and the partnership with Pujara helped India overcome the early loss of opener Abhinav Mukund. At tea, India were 2-282 and scoring at a brisk rate of more than five runs an over.

Dhawan storms Galle for century in a session

That slowed a touch in the final session as the hosts lost Kohli shortly after the resumption, the india captain out after a lengthy review found he had edged an attemped pull of an increasingly common short-ball tactic against him.

It continued a dismal run in Test cricket for Kohli that stretches back to the acrimonious Border-Gavaskar series against Australia. In his past six Test innings Kolhi has scored 49, averaging a touch above eight, and a top score of 15.

Dhawan, dropped on 31 by Asela Gunaratne at slip, hit 31 boundaries in his 168-ball blitz before throwing his wicket away in the final over before the tea break.

Compounding Sri Lanka's problems, middle-order batsman Gunaratne fractured his thumb which makes him doubtful for the rest of the match, if not the series, at Galle International Stadium.

Gunaratne drops catch, needs surgery on thumb

With regular openers Murali Vijay and Lokesh Rahul indisposed, Dhawan and Mukund opened the innings after Kohli won the toss and opted to bat in the first match of the three-Test series.

Mukund made 12 before edging an angling delivery from Nuwan Pradeep into wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella's safe gloves.

Dhawan decided to make the opportunity count and the 31-year-old had luck on his side.

The left-hander was cruising to his maiden double century when he charged out to Pradeep, only to hit the ball straight to Angelo Mathews at mid-off.

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya made his test debut in the match as did Sri Lanka's Danushka Gunathilaka.

Veteran spinner Rangana Herath is leading the home side in the absence of their ailing regular skipper Dinesh Chandimal.