Opener K L Rahul struck his second Test century and combined with skipper Virat Kohli to help India recover from a shaky start and reach 319 for six at stumps on the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo, on Thursday.
Dhammika Prasad's early burst reduced India to 12-2 in the fifth over as the visitors' decision to bat first in Sri Lankan batting stalwart Kumar Sangakkara's farewell Test had threatened to backfire.
Dropped on 11, Rahul (108) teamed up with Kohli (78) to take the fight back to the hosts with a 164-run third wicket partnership providing the bedrock of their innings.
Earlier, India made three changes to the team which imploded at Galle to allow the hosts to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, bringing in Murali Vijay, paceman Umesh Yadav and all-rounder Stuart Binny.
Those missing out were Shikhar Dhawan, who has been ruled out of the series with a fractured hand, Varun Aaron and Harbhajan Singh.
Sri Lanka replaced the injured Nuwan Pradeep with Chameera in the 134th and final Test for Sangakkara, who was given a guard of honour before the start of play. The 37-year-old batsman has scored 12,350 Test runs at an average of 57.71.
Fast bowler Dhammika Prasad jolted India early, trapping Murali Vijay (0) leg before wicket in the first over before inducing Ajinkya Rahane, promoted to number three, into pushing at a wide delivery to perish in the slips.
India could have slumped to 20-3 but Jehan Mubarak spilled Rahul at gully off Dushmantha Chameera.
<
Rahul started off nervously before he found his footing and played some good shots.
He was a bit more positive after completing his fifty from 94 balls and hit left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, who destroyed India in the second innings of the opening Test, over long-on for a six.
Kohli, who hit a century in the first Test, batted positively to bail India out of the early troubles.
The right-handed batsman signalled his positive intent by stepping out of his crease to hit Herath over his head for a six.
Herath ended Kohli's 107-ball knock with Mathews showing great anticipation in the lone slip position to pull off a low, one-handed catch.
However, he visitors seemed determined to not let Herath dictate terms as Rahul and Rohit both used their feet to also hit him over the rope.
Rahul fell after top edging a Chameera bouncer but Rohit Sharma scored freely to take India past the 300-mark.
Batting at number five, Rohit shrugged off early discomforts to hit three sixes and five boundaries in a fluent 79 before being dismissed by Angelo Mathews in the 88th over.
His partner in a 52-run stand Wriddhiman Saha was batting on 19 at the close.
