Day 1 in the first Test between India and Sri Lanka at Galle belonged to the visitors.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin registered his best overseas figures -- 6 for 46 in 13.4 overs – as the home side was shot out for a paltry 183 in the first innings.
Rajneesh Gupta presents some interesting numbers from the day's proceedings.
3 - Number of spinners played by India in the Test. It’s the first such instance against Sri Lanka since the Colombo RPS Test in 1997 when India played Anil Kumble, Rajesh Chauhan and Nilesh Kulkarni. Sri Lanka posted a world record 952 for 6.
6 - for 46 -- Ravichandran Ashwin's figures – best by an Indian spinner on the opening day of a Test outside India, beating Bhagwat Chandrasekhar’s 6 for 94 against New Zealand at Auckland in 1975-76. Also the best figures by an Indian bowler in Sri Lanka, beating Harbhajan Singh’s 6 for 102 also at Galle in 2008.
6 - Number of innings taken by Virat Kohli to complete 500 runs as captain – least by an Indian, along with Sunil Gavaskar.
8 - Number of times India have dismissed the opposition for under 200 on the opening day of a Test outside India. India won four, lost two and drew one of those seven matches.
9 - Number of years after which an Indian spinner claimed a five-wicket haul in consecutive matches outside India. Ashwin also took 5 for 87 in India’s last Test against Bangladesh at Fatullah in June. The last Indian spinner to perform this feat (before Ashwin) was Harbhajan Singh in the West Indies in 2006.
11- Number of five-wicket hauls taken by Ashwin: joint-most by an Indian bowler in his first 26 Tests, along with Subhash Gupte.
33 - Number of Tests Amit Mishra missed since playing his last Test for India (against England at The Oval in August 2011).
49.4 - Overs taken by India to dismiss Sri Lanka. It is the first time Sri Lanka were bowled out in under 50 overs by India in the first innings of a Test.
54 - Years 351 days – combined age of two captains – Angelo Mathews and Virat Kohli on the opening day. Only once before an India – Sri Lanka Test has seen a younger pair of captains taking field. The combined age of the two captains (Mohammad Azharuddin and Arjuna Ranatunga) in Chandigarh Test in 1990-91 was 54 years 280 days.
