SL batsmen make strong start to India tour

The Sri Lankans made a profitable start to their India tour, with four of their batsmen scoring fifties on the first day of their two-day tour game against the Indian Board President's XI at the Jadavpur University Campus ground in Kolkata. At stumps they were 411 for 6, having scored their runs at 4.67 per over.

Openers Sadeera Samarawickrama and Dimuth Karunaratne added 134 for the first wicket before the latter retired out for 50. The two other senior Sri Lankan batsmen, current and former captains Dinesh Chandimal (29) and Angelo Mathews (54), also retired out.

Samarawickrama went on to top score with 74 off 77 balls, with 13 fours, while wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella was unbeaten on a 59-ball 73 (13x4) at stumps. Batting down the order, Dilruwan Perera (48) and Roshen Silva (36*) made useful contributions too.

The IBP XI was made up entirely of players from teams not involved in the ongoing fifth round of the Ranji Trophy, and their bowling attack, as a result, wasn't the strongest. It did, however, contain the offspinner Jalaj Saxena, the top wicket-taker of the current Ranji season; he, like all his bowling colleagues, went for more than four an over, ending the day with figures of 22-0-100-1.