After India won the toss and elected to bat, openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag gave the hosts a rollicking start. The duo treated the Sri Lankan bowlers with utter disdain as they went about amassing the runs.

Gambhir set the tone for the run fest with the first boundary in the third over of the innings, when his thick edge went between the slips and gully fielder off Chanaka Welegedara.

India ended the first day in the second Test on 417 for 2 in 90 overs, the hosts' highest tally on the opening day of a home Test.

The openers changed gears quite efficiently as India reached 50 in the 15th over.

Spin was introduced in the form of Rangana Herath in the 16th over and Gambhir immediately went after the bowler, smashing him for three boundaries.

Mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis also suffered the same fate in his first over (the 18th of the innings) when Sehwag slammed a full toss over midwicket for the first six of the match. He seemed intent on taking on Mendis, and crashed a wide delivery through the cover region for a boundary in the spinner's next over.

Virender Sehwag made the most of opportunity after being dropped on naught by Mahela Jayawardene in the first over of the match.

He brought up his century, his 16th in Tests, with a paddle sweep to the fine leg region for a boundary against Muralitharan in the 34th over.

It took the opener 97 deliveries to reach the landmark, having scored his last 94 runs off just 73 deliveries. He hit 13 boundaries and two sixes in the process to give India control.

Sri Lanka struck against the run of play with the big wicket of Sehwag. The opener perished for 131 when his uppish drive off Muralitharan was taken by Dilshan in the covers, the only fielder on the off-side.

Gambhir completed his century in style, dancing down the wicket and hitting Herath straight down the ground for a boundary. The left-hander took 132 deliveries to reach his eighth Test century, inclusive of nine boundaries, and followed that up with another boundary courtesy a late cut two deliveries later.

Gambhir has now hit four centuries in his last four Tests, including the 137 against New Zealand at Napier, 167 at Wellington and 114 in the previous Test against Sri Lanka, at Ahmedabad.

Muttiah Muralitharan brought Sri Lanka some relief when he claimed the wicket of Gambhir. The batsman was out after a wonderful knock of 167.

The left-hander smashed 15 boundaries in his 215-ball knock before he was brilliantly caught and bowled by Muralitharan, diving full length to his right. (370-2, 75.1)

Muralitharan was Sri Lanka's most successful bowler, claiming two wickets, but ended up conceding 100 runs in 18 overs.