Ahmedabad: Balance and timing blended with focus and determination as Rahul Dravid built a monument to orchestrate a stirring Indian recovery at Motera here on Monday.
With his mind and body in harmony, Dravid (177 not out, 251b, 26x4, 1x6) became only the fifth batsman — Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting and Allan Border had achieved the feat earlier — to reach 11,000 runs in Test cricket.
After the conclusion of a hot, gruelling day, the Sri Lankan cricketers, in a wonderfully sporting gesture, congratulated Dravid for his epic innings under duress.
Electing to bat and reeling at 32 for four — left-arm paceman Chanaka Welegedara scalped three in a deadly opening burst — India ended an entertaining opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at a satisfying 385 for six.
This is the highest score by India on the first day of a Test. The pitch eased out considerably as the day progressed.
Smart batting
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni batted smartly for a 159-ball 110. There were occasions when Dhoni — who notched up his second Test century — muscled the ball in typical fashion. He also worked the ball into the open spaces and ran hard between the wickets. When he slashed, he did so hard.
The sixth-wicket pair of Dravid and Dhoni added a whopping 224 runs in 306 balls. Earlier, the left-handed Yuvraj Singh batted with freedom and enterprise for a valuable 68 (93b, 13x4). In an association that put India back on course, Dravid and Yuvraj put on 125 vital runs for the fifth wicket in 173 balls.
Dhoni and Yuvraj came up with admirable efforts but the day belonged to Dravid, who notched up his 27th Test hundred in his 135th Test.
He was calm and assured in the middle. While he was technically pure, Dravid also batted in a manner that was refreshingly positive.
He was tight in the corridor against the pacemen, picking the two-way movement of left-armer Welegadara better than the rest. Crucially, his feet movement was decisive.
The key
