GALLE: Tharanga Paranavitana and skipper Kumar Sangakkara hit centuries as Sri Lanka dominated the rain-hit opening day of the first Test against India on Sunday.
The left-handed duo put on 181 for the second wicket to lead Sri Lanka to 256 for two in their first innings before heavy rain stopped play 22 overs early at the Galle International Stadium.
Sangakkara made 103, his 22nd Test century and fourth against India, while Paranavitana notched up his maiden ton to remain unbeaten on 110 at the close.
Some 15,000 home fans were on hand to watch the final Test match for world bowling record holder Muttiah Muralitharan, who needs eight more scalps to reach the 800-wicket mark.
Sri Lanka`s sports minister Chandrasiri Ratnayake presented Muralitharan with a silver plaque before the start of play, which was delayed by 30 minutes due to a wet outfield caused by heavy overnight rain.
Posters hailing Sri Lanka`s favourite cricketing son as the `greatest bowler ever` were plastered around the ground alongside giant pictures of the off-spinner.
India`s depleted bowling attack, missing the injured pace duo of Zaheer Khan and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, proved ineffective on the easy-paced wicket after Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat.
Paranavitana and his opening partner Tillakaratne Dilshan made use of good batting conditions to smash 55 runs in 10 overs.
India`s new seamer Abhimanyu Mithun was the only bowler to escape the onslaught, conceding just six runs from his first four overs.
Mithun, a 20-year-old right-arm seamer from Karnataka, was rewarded for his steady bowling when Dilshan edged a pull shot to Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps.
"I think Mithun bowled really well in his first Test," said Indian coach Gary Kirsten, before revealing that spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh played despite not being fully fit.
"Harbhajan is a gutsy cricketer and said he will play even though he was feeling weak due to fever over the last few days. Without him, the bowling would have been even more inexperienced.
"We have still to bat, so this match is not one-sided by any means. It is a very good batting wicket and did not have the life we expected from a first day pitch."
Sangakkara overcame India`s defensive field placements -- there were six fielders on the leg-side on most occasions - to earn himself a well-deserved century.
The Sri Lankan captain, who hit 12 boundaries, fell against the run of play after tea when he pulled a short ball from part-time spinner Virender Sehwag to Sachin Tendulkar at deep mid-wicket.
Seamer Ishant Sharma conceded 79 runs in 14 overs, while Harbhajan went for 0-41 from 17 overs and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha gave away 66 runs in 17 overs.
Mithun, the most impressive of the Indian bowlers, finished the day at 1-41 from 13 overs.
India, the top-ranked Test side, are looking for their first series win in Sri Lanka in 17 years. Their lone success so far came through a 1-0 victory under Mohammad Azharuddin in 1993.
The three-Test series is the third between the two nations in a span of two years. Sri Lanka won 2-1 at home in August 2008 before India won the return leg in their own backyard 2-0 last year.
BDST: 1913 HRS, JULY 18, 2010
