Muralitharan ensures slow progress

India 163-5 v Sri Lanka

India found scoring difficult on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka, the visitors managing just 163 with half their number back in the pavilion by the close.

Playing a Test match without the injured Sachin Tendulkar for the first time in 12 years, India struggled after losing the toss on a bowler-friendly pitch.

After a rain-interrupted morning session, the Indian openers Shiv Sunder Das and Sadagoppan Ramesh had put on a measly 16 runs off 20 overs by the luncheon interval. Das had scored six off 60 balls while Ramesh had hit an equally conservative nine from 61 as the Sri Lankan attack quickly found line and length.

The partnership was eventually ended when Ramesh, eight short of his 50, gave the Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya the simplest of catches at short cover off the bowling of Muttiah Muralitharan. After such a stubborn display in which he had helped add 79 runs for the opening wicket, Ramesh will have been disappointed to have given his wicket away so cheaply.

Das joined Ramesh in the pavilion 26 runs later as he too fell short of a deserved half-century. Playing forward to Chaminda Vaas, the elegant right-hander gave Jayasuriya, now at second slip, another simple catch to depart for 40.

The match has been billed as a battle between the two best off-spinners in world cricket and, with Harbhajan Singh's side put into bat, it was Muralitharan who was given first chance to show his skills. Brought on early by Jayasuriya, Muralitharan was in his element and by the close had whirled his way through 24 overs, taking 2 for 41.

His second victim was the experienced Rahul Dravid who was on 12 when he ballooned a ball to Russel Arnold at silly point. Mohammad Keif followed shortly after comprehensively beaten by a Dilhara Fernando delivery that nipped back to shatter his stumps.

Keif, batting at No 3, found scoring as difficult as the two openers and he had faced 144 balls for his 37 when he departed with 14 balls left in the day. Worse was to come for India with Hemang Badani giving Fernando his second wicket in the final over.

First day; Sri Lanka won toss

INDIA – First innings

S S Das c Jayasuriya b Vaas 40

S Ramesh c Jayasuriya b Muralitharan 42

Mohommed Kaif b Fernando 37

R Dravid c Arnold b Muralitharan 12

S C Ganguly not out 10

H K Badani c Sangakkara b Fernando 6

S S Dighe not out 2

Extras (lb2 nb11 w1) 14

Total (for five, 85 overs) 163

Fall: 1-79, 2-105, 3-124, 4-155, 5-161

To bat: Harbhajan Singh, J Srinath, Z Khan, B K V Prasad

Bowling: Vaas 17-8-29-1 (nb3); Fernando 20-7-32-2 (nb2); R Perera 12-4-25-0 (nb3); Muralitharan 24-8-41-2 (nb1); S Perera 12-0-34-0 (w1, nb2).

SRI LANKA: S T Jayasuriya, M S Atapattu, D P M D Jayawardene, H P Tillakaratne, R P Arnold, K Sangakkara, W P U J C Vaas, M Muralitharan, C R D Fernando, P D R L Perera, A S A Perera.

Umpires: E A R de Silva and S A Bucknor (WI)