Stats: Team India's highest scores on the opening day of a Test

The Indian team has registered a welcome record on day one of the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka at the PCA stadium in Mohali. Batting first, India ended their day at 357-6, thus recording their eighth-highest score on Day 1 of a Test. What is interesting is that India’s highest ever Day 1 total which reads 417-2, had also come in a Test match against Sri Lanka at Kanpur in 2009. The second-highest team total for India on the first day of a test stands at 399-3, scored in 2017 at Galle, yet again against the same opposition, Sri Lanka.

Notably, when India had scored 417 in Kanpur, it was also the only time that they had registered a score of 400 or more on Day 1. Continuing on the tradition of scoring heavy runs against Sri Lanka, the third-highest total on the opening day of a Test for India is 385-6 in 2009 at Ahmedabad. 375-9 against New Zealand at Wellington in 2009 comes forth with the 372/7 against South Africa in 2001 at Bloemfontein rounding off their top five totals on Day 1 of a Test.

The Indian Captain, Rohit Sharma, chose to bat first having won the toss. Along with fellow opener, Mayank Agarwal, Sharma was instrumental in stitching together a 50-run partnership before the latter was dismissed by Lahiru Kumara for 29. Agarwal soon followed his skipper being sent back by spinner, Lasith Embuldeniya for 33.

Rishabh Pant, Hanuma Vihari strike half-centuries on opening day

India’s new number three, Hanuma Vihari, in alliance with former captain Virat Kohli, was successful in steadying the ship. However, much to the disappointment of his fans, Kohli fell at the brink of a half-century in his 100^th Test having been cleaned up by Embuldeniya for 45. Though Vihari went on to register his half-ton before getting out, the day belonged to India’s wicket-keeper batter, Rishabh Pant, who scored a quickfire 96 off 97 balls before being dismissed just four runs shy of his hundred. At the close of play, India had Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin at the crease for them.

(Stats as on March 4, 2022)