Rahane scores a ton as Kohli, Rohit fail in Sri Lanka opener

Ajinkya Rahane scored an unbeaten hundred but skipper Virat Kohli's poor form continued as the touring Indians put up 314 for six on the opening day of their only three-day tour game against Sri Lanka Board President's XI in Colombo, on Thursday.

Put in to bat, openers Lokesh Rahul (43) and Shikhar Dhawan (62) gave the visitors a solid 108-run start but the batting wobbled after their departure.

Rohit Sharma (7) and Kohli (8) fell in quick succession as medium-pacer Kasun Rajitha (3-47) made his presence felt in the President XI ranks as the Indians lost four wickets for 25 runs in the post-lunch session.

Struggling at 133 for four, Rahane (109 not out) and Cheteshwar Pujara (42) then go together to stitch a 134-run fifth-wicket partnership and rebuild the Indian innings.

Pujara and Rahane  defied the hosts until tea with the scorecard reading 175 for four. The two scored at a brisk pace, bringing up the 50-partnership in the 49th over. Rahane brought up his half-century, which included five fours, off 59 balls.

Their 100-runs partnership came up in the 59th over as the duo scored at 4.75 per over during their 28.1-over stay together at the crease.

Pujara slowed down a little as spin was introduced to make up for the slow over-rate and that hesitation cost him his wicket in the 66th over.

Rahane, though, carried on in the same vein as the Maharashtra-born batsman got to his century with a boundary against Jeffery Vandersay (2-76).

Rahane has struck 11 fours and a six in his 127-run stay so far as he helped India manage a healthy run-rate of 3.97 through the day.

The in-form batsman had got the company of Ravichnadran Ashwin (10 not out) at the end of the day's play as the duo managed an unbeaten 41-run partnership.

Scorecard

Indians (1st innings):

Lokesh Rahul c Gunathilaka b Nisala Gamage 43

Shikhar Dhawan c Perera b Rajitha 62

Rohit Sharma b Rajitha 7

Virat Kohli c Siriwardana b Rajitha 8

Ajinkya Rahane not out 109

Cheteshwar Pujara c Pathirana b Vandersay 42

Wriddhiman Saha c Thirimanne b Vandersay 3

Ravichandran Ashwin not out 10

Extras: (b 7, lb 10, w 4, nb 9) 30

Total: (6 wickets; 79 overs) 314 (3.97 runs per over)

Fall of wickets: 1-108, 2-121, 3-130, 4-133, 5-267, 6-273

Bowling: Vishwa Fernando 15-2-29-0, Nisala Gamage 15-2-65-1, Kasun Rajitha 13-2-47-3, Jeffrey Vandersay 20-1-76-2, Lahiru Gamage 13-2-66-0, Milinda Siriwardana 3-1-14-0.

Image: Ajinkya Rahane

Photograph: Getty Images