India was well placed at stumps on day one of the first test against Sri Lanka, reaching 128-2 Wednesday to trail by only 55 runs after dismissing the hosts for 183 in their first innings.
India captain Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan added an undefeated 100 runs for the third wicket to give the home team a strong platform. Kohli was undefeated on 45, while Dhawan has 53.
Earlier, playing his first test match against Sri Lanka, the 28-year-old Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 6-46 with steep bounce and sharp turn from the dry Galle surface after Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat.
Ashwin came on at the City End, replacing Varun Aaron, and struck immediately by dismissing key batsman Kumar Sangakkara for just 5 off the third delivery he bowled.
Batting at four, instead of the usual No. 3, Sangakkara was playing on the back foot and gave a catch to Lokesh Rahul at silly point.
That was after the fast bowlers had sent both openers back to the pavilion in single figures with well-directed short balls. Dimuth Karunaratne went for 9 off Ishant Sharma and Kaushal Silva for 5 to Aaron.
It was Ashwin's show from then on as he dismissed Lahiru Thirimanne (13) and Jehan Mubarak (0) in quick succession to leave Sri Lanka 65-5 at lunch.
Soon after the interval, it could have been 66-6 but wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha put down a simple catch off the bowling of Sharma.
Dinesh Chandimal (59) and captain Angelo Mathews (64) helped to stabilize the innings, putting on 79 runs for the sixth wicket.
Indian captain Virat Kohli brought in off-spinner Harbhajan Singh from the City End and Ashwin toiled without much success from the Dutch Fort End. But a change of ends for the tall spinner worked as he dismissed the dangerous Mathews in his second over in the new spell.
Mathews fell to a superb reflex catch by Rohit Sharma at short leg on the rebound.
Ashwin completed his 11th five-wicket haul in test cricket when Dhammika Prasad was ruled out leg before wicket for no score.
Ashwin finished things off when he took Sri Lanka's last wicket as Rangana Herath was bowled after a fighting 23.
Leg-spinner Amit Mishra picked up two wickets as the spinners accounted for eight Sri Lankan wickets, justifying India's decision to play three specialist spinners. It was the first time since 1997 that India has played three spinners away from home.
India started off shakily, reduced to 28-2, before Kohli and Dhawan added an undefeated 100 runs. Dhawan was dropped on 28 by Mathews at first slip with the total on 66-2.
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