GALLE (Sri Lanka) • Centuries by opener Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Virat Kohli earned India a handy first innings lead, before their spinners dismissed both the Sri Lankan openers to put the tourists on top of the first Test at Galle yesterday.

Resuming the second day on 128-2, India were all out for 375 in the final session to claim a first innings lead of 192 runs and Sri Lanka's troubles did not end there.

Openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva were both dismissed in the first two overs with the hosts reeling at 5-2 in their second innings at stumps, still trailing India by 187.

Earlier, Dhawan (134) and Kohli (103) frustrated the Sri Lankan bowlers with a 227-run stand.

Bowled out for 183 in the first innings, Sri Lanka had a few half chances in the morning session but otherwise failed to trouble the batsmen on the slow pitch.

The hosts made inroads in the later sessions, riding on off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal's second five-wicket haul and three wickets from paceman Nuwan Pradeep.

Left-handed Dhawan, who scored 173 against Bangladesh in India's last Test in June, hit 13 fours in his patient 271-ball innings.

"I feel my shot selection has got better and that's why I am not getting out in the 20s and 30s now," he said. "The major difference in my batting is that I am not giving too many chances to the opposition."

Kohli, in his first full series as India's Test captain, hit 11 fours to complete his 11th century in Tests but was out shortly after going past the three-figure mark, falling leg before after fluffing his sweep shot against off-spinner Kaushal.

REUTERS