India’s bowlers enjoyed an extended workout on the opening day of the three-day warm-up game ahead of the two-Test series, with SLC XI reaching 363 for 8 at Stumps. India used seven bowlers in all, while their most experienced spinners – Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav – led the way with two-wicket hauls after losing the toss on a docile surface, with left-arm spinner Manav Suthar also returning figures of 2 for 33. Shubman Gill, meanwhile, did not take the field after suffering an impact injury to his right ring finger during training.
SLC XI made the most of the batting-friendly conditions through an opening stand of 110, with openers Nishan Madushka and Ravindu Rasantha hitting half-centuries and making India sweat at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo.
India eventually broke through when Madushka was run out, but Rasantha continued to anchor the innings alongside Pasindu Sooriyabandara, adding another 61-run partnership that carried the hosts to 138 for 1 at Lunch.
Jadeja provided the first breakthrough after the interval by bowling Sooriyabandara for 35. Rasantha made a measured 71 before he was eventually beaten in the air by Suthar and eventually caught in the deep. Pavan Rathnayake briefly shifted gears with a brisk 39, which saw him launch Gurnoor Brar and Saransh Jain for maximums. He was accounted for by a short ball from Brar shortly before Tea.
Kuldeep then enjoyed his best spell of the day, removing Ahan Wickramasinghe for 31 before trapping Anjala Bandara LBW to reduce Sri Lanka XI to 284 for 6. However, Sonal Dinusha and Ramesh Mendis denied India for a while then, adding a quick-fire 63 runs for the seventh wicket before the latter was caught at slip off Jadeja. Dinusha fell soon after his half-century to Suthar, with Keshara Nuwantha and Dilum Sudeera seeing off the remaining 2.2 overs safely.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka Cricket XI (Ravindu Rasantha 71, Nishan Madushka 66, Sonal Dinusha 52; Manav Suthar 2-33, Ravindra Jadeja 2-64, Kuldeep Yadav 2-76) vs India
