Kuldeep, Jadeja shine in practice tie as India end Day-1 at 135/3

Colombo July 21 (IANS) Indian spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja shared seven wickets between them as India bundled out the Sri Lanka Board President s team for 187 on the opening day. The visitors ended the day at 135/3 here on Friday.

Coming back from a surgery India opener Lokesh Rahul fired a rapid 58-ball 54 while skipper Virat Kohli and his deputy Ajinkya Rahane remained unbeaten on 34 and 30 respectively.

Opener Abhinav Mukund was bowled by left-armer Vishwa Fernando for a duck in the first over of India s innings while one down Cheteshwar Pujara was also bowled by Fernando for 12 off 41 deliveries.

Earlier the home side rode on a 130-run second wicket stand between opener Danushka Gunathilaka (74 off 97 deliveries) and skipper Lahiru Thirimanne (59 from 125) as the Indian left-arm spin duo of Jadeja and Kuldeep ripped through the line up.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep took his wickets largely against the lower order but figures of 4/14 may nevertheless have raised his chances of playing the first Test along side the frontline duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja.

Jadeja too returned with figures of 3/31 delivering impactful blows to the opposition. In the same over he had removed Thirimanne as well as Dhananjaya de Silva for a duck.

Soon after he had run out Gunathilaka and dismissed Ashan Priyanjan as well. From a comfortable 139/1 to 145/5 the President s XI failed to keep the momentum going in the later part of their innings as pacer Mohammad Shami wreaked further havoc to bundle them out in the 56th over.

Brief Scores: SLC President s XI first innings:187 (Danushka Gunathilaka 74 Lahiru Thirimanne 59 Kuldeep Yadav 4/14 Ravindra Jadeja 3/31) vs India first innings: 135/3 (Lokesh Rahul 54 Virat Kohli 34 not out Ajinkya Rahane 30 not out).

--IANS
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