IND vs SL: 1st Test, Day 1 – Rishabh Pant’s blitz blows Sri Lanka away

Rishabh Pant’s entertaining 97-ball 96 headlined on the first day of the Mohali Test, with India walking to stumps in the driver’s seat at 357/6. India, who won the toss and toped to bat, saw contributions from each batter, however, keeping Pant and Hanuma Vihari aside, none other quite managed to build on that. Pant’s blitz, though, meant India remained in the ascendancy at the close of play and went back as the more satisfied team. 

1. Hanuma Vihari’s deliverance at No. 3

Vihari had big boots to fill at the No. 3 spot after India decided to drop Cheteshwar Pujara from the ranks. However, rising to the challenge, he delivered with a calm, composed and case-making half-century, on the course of which he strung a crucial 90-run partnership with Virat Kohli. Vihari chopped on a Vishwa Fernando delivery to cease his outing at 58 off 128. 

2. Virat Kohli’s sublime 45

Albeit not a century or even half of it, Kohli looked like his usual fluent best during his 76-ball stay before being undone by a peach by Lasith Embuldeniya, who turned the ball just enough from a middle-stump line to beat past Kohli’s outside edge and knock off his off stump. He struck five fours for his 45. 

3. Kohli mounts 8K

In his landmark 100th Test, Kohli reached another milestone as he completed 8000 runs in Test cricket. Going into the contest, he was 38 runs shy of the mark and he attained that when he pushed Vishwa Fernando for a single towards point in the 39th over of the innings.

4. Rishabh Pant hits big but misses

Pant was primarily the cause behind India’s dominant outing on the opening day. He started patiently but went berserk towards the fag end of the innings, taking on Sri Lankan spinners with disdain. His acceleration launched India to a formidable total, although he fell only four short of a deserving century to register his fifth nervous ninety. Pant’s knock had four towering sixes and nine boundaries, including his trademark one-handed strokes.