New Delhi: India opener Shikhar Dhawan continued his impressive form from ICC Champions Trophy to smash a career-best 190 on his return to Test cricket. (IND vs SL, Galle Test, Day 1 - Live Blog | Full Coverage)
Dhawan combined with Cheteswhar Pujara to add 253 runs for the second wicket to help India overcome the early loss of opener Abhinav Mukund and reach 282 for two at the tea break, scoring at a brisk rate of over five runs an over.
The left-hander, made the Sri Lankans pay after being dropped on 31 by Asela Gunaratne at slip. He later came out all guns blazing to hit 31 boundaries in his 168-ball blitz before throwing his wicket away in the final over before the tea break.
WATCH: Shikhar Dhawan's dropped catch rules out Asela Gunaratne for entire Galle Test
With regular openers Murali Vijay and Lokesh Rahul indisposed, Dhawan and Mukund opened the innings after Kohli won the toss and opted to bat in the first match of the three-test series.
Mukund made 12 before edging an angling delivery from Nuwan Pradeep into wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella`s safe gloves.
Dhawan decided to make the opportunity count and the 31-year-old had luck on his side. He hit Lahiru Kumara for two boundaries in three balls and was lucky not to fall in the same over when he slashed hard at the final delivery and Gunaratne spilled the catch at second slip.
Dhawan swept spinner Dilruwan Perera for a boundary to bring up his fifth test century off just 110 balls at the same venue where he scored his fourth in 2015. The 31-year-old swept the spinners with contempt and became one of the handful batsmen to score 100 runs in one session.
Here's how Twitter reacted to see Dhawan playing ODI cricket wearing the Test whites:
Most runs between Lunch and Tea (for Ind):
111* Dhawan today
110 Umrigar v WI PoS
109 Sehwag v Pak Lahore
108 Sehwag v SA Chennai— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) July 26, 2017
Shikhar Dhawan reaches 150 with 43 overs to go. How much will he score in a day's play? World Record is 309 Bradman, India record 284 Sehwag
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) July 26, 2017
160* Off 151 Balls. Someone Should Remind Shikhar Dhawan It's Test Match, Not #T20 Or ODI. All The Best For 200. #INDvSL #IndvsSL #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/2MhwfHRFy7
— Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) July 26, 2017
Shikhar Dhawan (190) is out after scoring 126 in the session, the highest in Tests by any batsman between Lunch and Tea in 63 years. #SLvInd
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) July 26, 2017
Virat Kohli comes out, asks Pujara, "How's the deck?"
Pujara: "You just saw Dhawan score 190!"Kohil: #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/BsblxPBbkV
— Nikhil (@CricCrazyNIKS) July 26, 2017
Shikhar Dhawan has reached yet another milestone which very few Indian players have achieved pic.twitter.com/obwAmymiax
— Dishank Sharma (@dishanksharma05) July 26, 2017
Dhawan Last two Test Centuries:
In 2015 vs Sri Lanka at Galle
In 2017 vs Sri Lanka at Galle— #SLvIND #INDvSL (@BCCISportsTv) July 26, 2017
The Delhi-batsman was cruising to his maiden double century when he charged out to Pradeep, only to hit the ball straight to Angelo Mathews at mid-off
