Padikkal hits second ton to leave India in control

Devdutt Padikkal has scored his second Test century and shared two crucial partnerships to help India to 5-300 at stumps on the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka.

Continuing his top form from the first match when he scored 167 in the first innings to set up a big win, Padikkal made 117 off 193 deliveries, spending nearly five hours at the crease and hitting 12 boundaries.

He got reprieves as soon as he came to bat when Sonal Dinusha at cover and captain Dhananjaya de Silva at slip dropped two sharp catches.

From there, he batted with concentration, sharing 120 for the third wicket with captain Shubman Gill and 74 for the fourth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja, before being bowled by offspinner Keshara Nuwantha.

Gill was out for 50, his ninth Test half-century, when he edged fast bowler Asitha Fernando to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella.

Rishabh Pant, who came in to bat at No. 5 when Gill fell, was retired hurt when he went across to pull fast bowler Lahiru Kumara only to take a hit on his forearm.

Sri Lanka took the second new ball after 80 overs and saw quick results when Fernando bowled Ravindra Jadeja (43) with an inswinger that the left-handed batter misjudged and attempted to leave.

India went to lunch at 2-88 with Padikkal and Gill trying to steady the innings after India lost two wickets for 66 runs after Gill had won the toss and elected to bat first on a good batting pitch at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

Openers Yashaswi Jaiswal and KL Rahul added 37 for the first wicket before Rahul (18) slashed at a wider delivery from Kumara for a catch to Dickwella.

Jaiswal (45) was bowled by a sharp inswinger from Fernando, leaving India 2-66.

Fernando had the best bowling figures for Sri Lanka with 3-46 as Kumara and Nuwantha picked up a wicket each.

India lead the two-match series, having defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the first Test in Galle.

India have left out left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav for spin-bowling allrounder Saransh Jain, who is also playing in his first Test.