India 11-1 (8 ovs) vs SL 205 | Scorecard

India took the upperhand on Day 1 courtesy of their bowlers after Sri Lanka were bowled out for a below-par 205 after they had elected to bat first, on a good wicket in Nagpur.

In reply, India lost KL Rahul early wicket before they finished on 11 for one in eight overs at stumps on the opening day.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was the most successful bowler for the hosts with four for 67. Paceman Ishant Sharma and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets apiece.

Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal top-scored for the tourists with 57, while opener Dimuth Karunaratne made 51.

India 11-1 (8 ovs) vs SL 205 | Scorecard

Vijay gets off the mark with a single on the leg side off Lakmal before he plays out a maiden over from Gamage.

Pujara also takes a single to get off the mark as both the batsmen defend everything and play for stumps.

Sri Lanka are content to continue with their pacers and not try an over or two of spin.

Gamage to bowl the final over of the day. Pujara and Vijay take a single each as India finish the day on 11 for no loss in eight overs.

India 7-1 (4 ov) vs SL 205 | Scorecard

Eight overs left in the day as Murali Vijay and KL Rahul walk out to open the innings for India.

Rahul makes a statement early on as he drives the first ball from Lakmal, a half-volley outside the off-stump, through the covers for a wonderful boundary to get off the mark. He taps the next ball on the off-side for a single.

Rahul tries to repeat the treatment on Lahiru Gamage as he goes after the first ball, which is wide, without any footwork but is beaten. He steers the next ball through the off-side for two runs before he is beaten again off the fifth ball.

Murali Vijay making a comeback into the team is taking his team to get his eye in. He offers no shot to five deliveries in Lakmal's second over with not much time left for stumps.

Rahul plays another loose shot and is beaten by Gamage outside the off-stump. The pacer finally gets his man as Rahul gets an inside edge and is bowled for seven. That was a nothing shot from Rahul as he casually pokes at one outside the off-stump when he could have left it alone.

No nightwatchman as Cheteshwar Pujara walks in at No. 3 and defends the first ball confidently.

SL 205-all out (79.1 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Ravichandran Ashwin led India's super showing with the ball as he picked up four for 67, while Ishant and Jadeja claimed three wickets each to send Sri Lanka crashing for 205 after they had elected to bat first.

Captain Dinesh Chandimal top-scored with 57, while Dimuth Karunaratne made a 51 but the rest of the Sri Lankan batting caved in quite tamely on a good batting wicket in Nagpur.

India's bowlers showed good discipline as they forced Sri Lanka's batsmen into making mistakes with some tight bowling.

Ishant, included in place of the injured Shami, picked up three for 37, while Jadeja held one end up to take three for 56.

India will be delighted by the performance of their bowlers, as they opted for a four-man bowling attack with Rohit Sharma replacing Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who opted out of the last two Tests to get married.

SL 205-all out (79.1 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Suranga Lakmal looks to swing Jadeja over the leg side but gets a thick inside edge which goes fine on the leg side for a four.

Rangana Herath, who scored an important half-century in the first Test, plays the reverse sweep against Ashwin for a single to thirdman.

Lakmal not willing to hang around as he has another go at Jadeja and manages to hit it wide of Ishant at mid-on for a boundary.

Lakmal continues to attack as he lofts Jadeja over mid-on for his third boundary and then survives a leg before wicket appeal.

Ishant comes back into the attack, to bowl the 79th over, replacing Jadeja.

Lakmal makes room and looks to smash it down the ground but Ishant does well on his follow through to stop the shot. However, he pulls the next ball over midwicket for a boundary.

Ishant gets revenge with the wicket of Lakmal, who has a poke at a full delivery but gets an edge and is caught behind for 17.

Ashwin finishes off the Sri Lankan innings as he gets Herath caught in the slips for four as the visitors fold for a lowly 205.

SL 185-8 (72 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

The wickets keep tumbling and this time it is the key wicket of Sri Lanka captain Chandimal, who was holding forte from one end.

He tries to reverse sweep Ashwin but misses and is hit on the pads. The umpire turns down the LBW appeal before India take the DRS. The ball tracking shows that the ball is going on to hit the middle stump as the decision is overturned.

Chandimal makes his way back for 57 as Sri Lanka are reduced to 184 for eight.

SL 184-7 (71 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Jadeja picks up another wicket as Perera is given out leg before wicket as he looks to hit it through the off-side but the ball comes in and strikes him on the pads.

The umpire has given it out but Perera takes the DRS immediately.

The replays show that the ball had hit the inside edge before it crashes on to the pads and umpire Kettleborough has to reverse his decision.

Two balls later, Perera skips down the track and lofts it down the ground for a six.

An over later, Jadeja again gets Perera leg before wicket as the right-hander goes back and looks to flick it across the line but misses. Umpire Kettleborough again rules it leg before wicket as Perera reviews again but this time the decision stays with the ball going on to hit the middle stump.

A waste of a review as Perera makes his way back for 15 with Sri Lanka reduced to 184 for seven.

SL 165-6 (66 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Ashwin beats Chandimal and hits him on the pads but the ball is slipping down the leg side.

The Sri Lanka captain then takes a single before new batsman Dasun Shanaka also takes a run to get off the mark.

Shanaka then gives Jadeja the charge before he defends watchfully as the left-arm spinner bowls a maiden.

Shanaka gets an inside edge off Ashwin but it goes wide of the fielder at leg slip for a single.

The two spinners racing through their overs as India maintain a good over rate, while also building up the pressure with some tight overs.

Ashwin cleans up Shanaka with a beauty, as he gets one to go straight through from round the wicket and clean up the stumps. The right-hander expected the ball to spin and come in and he ended up playing down the wrong line.

Sri Lanka keep losing wickets at regular intervals to slip to 165 for six.

New batsman Dilruwan Perera carefully defends the first four balls to end a good over from Ashwin.

SL 160-5 (61 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Ashwin begins proceedings after the tea break. Dickwella takes a single from the second ball and Chandimal also picks one from the next ball.

Dickwella gets a boundary from the next ball as Jadeja is slow to react to give away a four before he defends the next two balls.

Spin from both ends as Jadeja comes in from the other end. Two singles from the first two balls before Chandimal picks another easy run to bring up his half-century from 97 balls.

Dickwella comes down the track and looks to heave it over the leg side but miscues it on the off-side and is caught by Ishant at mid-off to perish for 24.

SL 151-4 (59 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

A good session of Test cricket as India's bowlers made Sri Lanka toil hard for their runs.

Karunaratne played a patient innings of 51 before he was trapped leg before wicket by Ishant, while Mathews fell in the same fashion to Jadeja for 10.

Captain Chandimal held forte with an unbeaten innings of 47 as Sri Lanka reached 151 for four in 59 overs at the tea break on Day 1.

The scoring rate increased towards the end of the session as 104 came from 32 overs bowled in the post-lunch session.

SL 151-4 (59 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

The attacking Niroshan Dickwella comes out to the middle with Sri Lanka needing a big partnership to bail them out of this current mess.

He gets off the mark with a boundary through point off Ishant and paddle sweeps Ashwin in the next over for three runs.

Kohli keeps swapping the seamers, giving them short bursts with spinners operating from one end.

Dickwella getting some momentum back in the Lankan innings. He throws his bat at a wide delivery from Umesh, crashing through point for a four and keeps strike with one from the last ball.

Change from the other end as Jadeja replaces Ashwin. Dickwella again makes most of the width as he slaps Jadeja through the off-side for a four.

He slashes at a wide one but gets an edge which falls short of Rahane at slip as it goes between his legs for two runs.

Chandimal punches a full delivery from Umesh straight back past mid-off for a four and then two balls later hits one through the covers for the same result to end the session in confident fashion.

SL 122-4 (51 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Ishant breaks through the defences of the solid-looking Karunaratne, who looks to play it across the line but is hit on the pads.

Umpire Richard Kettleborough takes some time before he gives it out leg before wicket.

Sri Lanka take the DRS as the ball tracker shows that it is clipping the off-stump which means the umpire's decision stays.

Karunaratne walks back after scoring 51 from 147 balls as Sri Lanka are reduced to 122 for four in 51 overs.

SL 112-3 (47 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Karunaratne breaks the shackles as he whips Jadeja over the leg side for a four. In the next over, the left-hander plays a cracking drive through the covers for another boundary.

Jadeja bowls a rare loose delivery. A full delivery outside the leg stump as Chandimal sweeps it past short fine leg for a four as the runs start to follow for Sri Lanka following a quiet period after the lunch break.

Chandimal growing in confidence as he drives a half-volley from Umesh in the gap through the covers for a four before the steers the last ball past point for two runs.

Ishant comes into the attack in place of Umesh. Karunaratne steers Ishant square on the off-side for a four and then takes a single to bring up his half-century, from 132 balls.

SL 84-3(40 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Ashwin has Karunaratne in all sort of problems. He gets one to bounce and turn as the left-hander is beaten. The caught behind appeal is turned down but the stumping appeal is referred upstairs but his feet is back in the crease.

The next ball goes the other way as Karunaratne comes forward to block and is hit on the pads but the umpire is not interested. Kohli takes the DRS after a brief chat with the fielders around the bat but the ball is just clipping the leg stump which means the umpire's decision stays. And once again, India don'st lose their review because it is umpire's call.

The Indian spinners in complete control. Chandimal looks to flick Jadeja across the line but is beaten and hit on the pads as Indians appeal for leg before but in vain.

Chandimal gets a thick inside edge off the next ball but there is no fielder at short leg.

Chandimal comes down the track to Ashwin and lofts him down the ground. He doesn't make proper connection but still manages to hit the ball back over the bowler's head for a six. A couple of balls later he comes down again and has another heave but this time gets an inside edge to fine leg for one.

Chandimal seems to have settled down after a few reckless shots early on. He is looking to take the singles and keep the scoreboard ticking while Karunaratne continues to survive.

The two spinners are bowling well in tandem before Kohli decides to bring back pacer Umesh to see if he could do something with the old ball as he replaces Ashwin, who has bowled 13 overs, taking one for 34.

A single each to the two batsmen before Karunaratne drives it through the covers for two runs.

Jadeja continues as he gets Chandimal to get a thick outside edge for two runs to thirdman as Sri Lanka reach 84 for three in 40 overs.

SL 60-3(30 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

The spinners in action after the lunch interval with Kohli encouraged by what he saw just before the break.

He immediately gives Karunaraten a few problems before the left-hander tries the reverse sweep but misses. However, Karunaratne plays a nice drive off the fifth ball for a boundary.

Mathews looks to drive Ashwin but gets an edge which flies past Rahane at slip for a four. He then comes down the track and lofts Ashwin down the ground for another boundary.

However, Jadeja strikes in the next over with the wicket of the experienced Mathews, who is dismissed leg before wicket for 10.

The right-hander played down the wrong line as the ball came in straight and hit him right in front of the stumps. Mathews takes the DRS but the ball is clipping the leg stump which means the decision stays and Sri Lanka also don't lose their review.

SL 47-2 (27 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

A good performance by the Indian bowlers in the morning session as they pick up a couple of wickets to reduce to Sri Lanka to 47 for two in 27 overs at the lunch break on Day 1.

Electing to bat, Sri Lanka lost opener Sadeera Samarawickrama early when he was caught at first slip off Ishant for 13.

Off-spinner Ashwin got Thirimanne bowled for nine a few minutes before lunch as India's bowlers build the pressure in the morning with some tight bowling.

Karunaratne, who got a couple of reprieves, was unbeaten on 21 at the break along with Mathews (1).

Earlier, Sri Lanka, who escaped with a draw in the first Test, went in unchanged for the second match.

India made three changes to the side from Kolkata with experienced Ishant Sharma replacing fast bowling colleague Mohammed Shami, who misses out due to a niggle in his left hip.

Murali Vijay returned at the top of the batting order after opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan opted out of the match for personal reasons.

Batsman Rohit Sharma will play his first Test in over a year after replacing seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who withdrew from the second and third match to get married.

SL 47-2 (27 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

That wicket makes Captain Kohli bring in left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja from the other end.

He nearly strikes in his first over as Karunaratne is stumped but on checking the replays the umpire finds out that Jadeja has overstepped and it is ruled a no-ball.

Another lifeline for Karunaratne, who was dropped on 15, and is now stumped off a no-ball on 21, as Sri Lanka survive another wicket so close to the lunch interval.

Angelo Mathews flicks Ashwin through the leg-side but KL Rahul at midwicket puts in the dive to save some runs.

The last ball goes straight on as Mathews, playing for the turn, is beaten.

SL 44-2 (25 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Thirimanne ducks under a bouncer from Ishant but the ball doesn't bounce as much and hits the left-hander on the body.

In the next over, Thirimanne glances Ashwin fine for two runs and then mishits the sweep for a single.

Umesh comes back after a couple of overs from Ishant in his second spell. Thirimanne defends the first five balls before he keeps strike with one from the last ball.

Ashwin finally gets his reward as he makes the breakthrough with the wicket of Thirimanne, who is bowled after a painful innings of nine from 58 balls.

Thirimanne had enough of defending against Ashwin as he tries to disrupt his rhythm by employing the sweep but fails to make any connection and is bowled.

That is the first wicket by an Indian spinner in the series, exclaims Sunil Gavaskar on commentary.

India have managed to build the pressure with some tight bowling as Sri Lanka are reduced to 44 for two in 25 overs.

SL 38-1 (21 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Ashwin giving it a lot of air and looking to maintain a good line and play on the batsmen's patience.

Unlike in the first match, when Ashwin didn't have much to do, here he is into the thick of things very early into the contest.

Ishant comes back into the attack after a long eight-over first spell by Umesh, in which he conceded just 12 runs but didn't pose much of a threat with the ball.

Pujara nearly gets another wicket for India. Karunaratne (15) taps it to mid-on and sets off for a quick single as Pujara gets the direct hit but the batsman has made it to the crease.

Ashwin's perseverance nearly pays off. Karunaratne runs of patience as he comes down the track and tries a loft shot down the ground but the connection is not that good. However, Pujara, at mid-on, is unable to take the catch as he jumps high but the ball goes through his outstretched hands.

It has been slow going for Sri Lanka, who crawl to 38 for one in 21 overs, with Karunaratne on 18 and Thirimanne on five.

SL 33-1 (16 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

In the absence of a third seamer, the opening bowlers getting a long first spell with the new ball.

Both Ishant and Umesh bowl their sixth overs as Karunaratne and Thirimanne continue to defend and see off the new ball.

Spin introduced straight after the drinks break as off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin comes into the attack. He keeps it simple in his first over, bowling it full and in the channel just outside off-stump as Thirimanne defends watchfully.

A break for Ishant after six overs but Umesh continues, as he bowls his seventh over. Karunaratne is also content to play it safe as he defends for the second maiden over in succession.

Thirimanne breaks the sequence of maiden overs as he taps Ashwin on the off-side for a single before Karunaratne blocks the rest of the over.

Umesh bowls his eighth over on the trot. He blocks the third ball on the off-side but offers no shot to the remaining five deliveries.

SL 31-1 (10 ovs) vs India

Ishant continues to probe the umpires with regards to the shape of the ball before they finally relent and change the ball.

Karunaratne then steers a wide delivery past the slips for a couple of runs.

Local boy Umesh gets one to rise sharply as Lahiru Thirimanne manages to get behind and defend as he manages to see off the over.

Ishant overpitches as Karunarante straight back past the bowler for a four. Two balls later, Ishant gets one to bounce and slant across the left-hander who does well to get his gloves out of the way.

He tries another bouncer as Karunratne fends it on the leg side.

Umesh slips it down the leg side for two leg byes before he gets a couple next ball through the off-side.

Sri Lanka reach 31 for one in 10 overs with Karunaratne on 14 and Thirimanne on two.

SL 20-1 (5 ovs) vs India

Sadeera plays an uppish drive through the covers for three runs before Umesh beats Karunaratne with the last ball of the over, as he pokes at one outside the off-stump.

Ishant makes the breakthrough with the wicket of Sadeera, who looks to drive away from his body without any footwork but gets an edge and is caught by Cheteshwar Pujara at first slip for 13.

Infact, Pujara does well to take a low catch to his left as the ball was dipping all the time but he got his fingers underneath. The decision was referred upstairs but the replays show that the catch was clean.

SL 13-0 (3 ovs) vs India

The returning Ishant Sharma opens the bowling for India. Sadeera Samarawickrama leaves the first two balls outside the off-stump before he crashes the third through the covers for a four to get off the mark in confident fashion.

He takes a single from the fifth delivery before Dimuth Karunaratne defends the last ball of the over.

Umesh Yadav to bowl the second over. He was below par in the first match but in the absence of Shami and with India playing two seamers, he needs to deliver.

He starts with a leg side which Sadeera turns on the leg side for one before Karunaratne punches the next through midwicket for a four.

Ishant not happy with the ball as umpire Richard Kettleborough has a look before handing it back to the bowler.

Sadeera inside edges the second ball for two runs through midwicket and then tries to steer one past point but Ravindra Jadeja puts in the dive to keep it down to just one.

Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal won the toss and elected to bat against India in the second Test match.

India have made three changes with Mohammed Shami ruled out because of injury, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Murali Vijay withdrew due to personal reasons.

Ishant Sharma replaces Shami, while Rohit Sharma was given match time as he came in for Bhuvneshwar and Vijay took the place of Dhawan.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka have retained the same team.

Welcome to the coverage of the second Test between India and Sri Lanka in Nagpur on Friday.

Denied by the weather in opening Test in Kolkata, a supremely confident India, who have been forced to make a couple of changes, would be keen to ensure that their dominance of Sri Lanka continues unchallenged in the second match.

Having earned the psychological edge by blowing the Sri Lankan top and middle order during the final session of the drawn first Test, the hosts will once again play on a green track at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Jamtha.
 
The hint of grass on the pitch is in keeping with the team's preparation for the gruelling South African tour which starts next month.

India captain Virat Kohli on Thursday lamented the lack of preparatory time for the upcoming tour of South Africa, saying the cramped schedule left him with no choice but to seek bouncy tracks in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka to be ready for the challenge ahead.

Asked if he had specifically asked for bouncy tracks, Kohli gave a direct answer, saying: "Yes because unfortunately we get only two days before we fly to South Africa after this series gets over. So we have no choice but try to be in a game situation and think of what's coming ahead of us.

"Had we got a month off ideally, we would have done a proper preparation in a camp sort of scenario but we have to sort of make do with what we have."