STUMPS, India 312/2 after 98 overs (Pujara 121, Kohli 54): A near-perfect day for India. First the marathon partnership between Vijay and Pujara, leading to the 10th and 14th Test centuries for them respectively. And then Kohli coming at the end, like the energiser bunny he usually is, and scoring a quick-fire half century. India are 107 ahead and looking set to pile on the misery for Sri Lanka. Join us on Sunday for more action.

After 97 overs, India 306/2: 15th Test 50 for Virat Kohli and he makes sure his average will remain above 50 across formats. Gets there with a single to the point. It’s been a busy innings, laced with some exquisite boundaries and a few inside edges that missed the stump by inches.

Last over of the day coming up...

After 96 overs, India 305/2 : The lead is now 100 runs and Kohli is one run away from yet another Test 50. Dliruwan has reached his century in the meantime. 112 runs from his 20 overs, the latest of which saw Kohli bludgeon him for a four past cover.

One more Kohli fan...

India 285/2 after 91 overs: Shanaka can only stand and watch. 91st over & we might have the shot of the innings. Short of good length, on the off stump and Kohli, with his feet off the ground to get on top of the bounce, bottom-hands it to midwicket for 4. Pujara meanwhile is scoring with ease as well.

India 265/2 after 87 overs: CENTURY NO. 14 FOR CHETESHWAR PUJARA! A near flawless innings by the ever-dependable Indian No 3. Pujara doing what Pujara does best, by blunting out the bowlers, being patient and making the most of any bad ball that comes along his way. Kohli has made Pujara run, run and run in the last 30 minutes.

India 245/2 after 82 overs: Final drinks break for the day in Nagpur and the match could slip further from Sri Lanka. Gamage and Herath with the first 2 overs with the 2nd new ball. Kohli drives Herath handsomely for 4.

India 237/2 after 80 overs: Pujara inching towards his 100. Dilruwan continues to be expensive, getting bludgeoned down the ground for four by Kohli.

Second new ball due, second new ball taken. It’d be a good bet to say the scoring rate is going to go up considerably now.

India 229/2, after 78 overs: Oh dear, Dinesh Chandimal. Herath makes a loud appeal for LBW against Kohli but it looked to the naked eye like it was an inside-edge on to the pad. Dickwella, the ‘keeper says so as well, but they review all the same and lose their last remaining option to go upstairs. That’s now both their reviews wasted and no reset. Kohli gets going with an excellent on drive past mid-on for 4.

India 216/2, after 76 overs: Finally a wicket for Sri Lanka! Soft dismissal after a solid knock. Herath goes over the wicket and targets Vijay outside his leg stump, he top-edges a sweep to short fine leg off a full toss. Gone for 128. A fine knock, but he’s disgusted with himself for that shot and for getting out now after all the hard work.

India 206/1 after 73 overs: And India now are now into the lead, with excellent batting conditions, and 9 wickets in hand. Sri Lanka have an in-out field and the Indian pair is milking the singles with ease.

India 200/1 after 71 overs: The batsmen are now just toying with the field. With Dilruwan bowling, Pujara targets the vacant third man region with few cut shorts which means Herath has to run all the way from cover and get around to fielding it – the golden oldie then jogs back to the crease to start his over. Pujara meanwhile gets to 1000 runs in 2017.

India 194/1 after 69 overs, (Pujara 71*, Vijay 115*): Vijay has come out looking to play his shots – perhaps with the freedom of having scored his century. Spin at both ends now, if we recall correctly, for the first time in this innings but Dilruwan is clearly struggling – another reverse sweep by Vijay for four and the off-spinner has now conceded at almost 6 runs an over (59/0 after 11 overs)

India 185/1, after 66 overs: Action underway in Nagpur for the final session, and Rangaiya Herath starts with a maiden.

After 65 overs, India 185/1 and it’s tea in Nagpur: Boy do Sri Lanka need that break. Like we had said at the start of the day, this is turning out to be a massive toil for the visitors – nothing on offer in the pitch, they are not taking the half chances and Vijay and Pujara are just too good batting together. Their average is now 73 when batting together – the most prolific in India’s history (min 2000 runs).

Back in 20 minutes...

Meanwhile, a poll – let us know what you think.

Some reaction to M Vijay’s century on comeback:

After 61 overs, India 172/1 (Vijay 102, Pujara 63)

Vijay scampered through for a quick single to reach his 10th Test ton – 7 at home, 3 away. A classy innings – he began slowly, worked his way into the innings and is now playing with much more freedom. The kind of innings that Sunil Gavaskar would approve of. He has given the bowlers little chance.

After 60 overs, India 167/1 (Vijay 98, Pujara 61)

India trail by just 38 runs now. That India will take a big lead is almost a foregone conclusion but just how much more can Vijay put on is something that will interest the selectors the most. Given his ability to leave the ball and bat out time, the right-hander should be one of the first names on team sheet in SA. He needed some runs under his belt to show that he hasn’t lost his touch. It’s not easy to come back to Test cricket after a while but Vijay has been classy throughout.

After 57 overs, India 156/1 (Vijay 91, Pujara 57)

The first 15 overs saw India looking solid but Sri Lanka managing to keep the run-rate in check. But in the three overs after the drinks break, India have changed into a higher gear. 20 runs have come in 18 balls. Vijay, in particular, is showing much more intent.

After 54 overs, India 136/1 (Vijay 78, Pujara 50)

India trail by just 69 runs now and Pujara has worked his way to another fifty now – his 17th in Test cricket. Splendid batting by him – as usual, he has rarely played a false shot. Vijay and Pujara have put together a solid partnership worth 129 runs already.

After 53 overs, India 128/1: A bit of reverse swing on show for Lakmal towards the end of that phase. Vijay meanwhile, takes on Herath in his typical style – dancing down and hitting a lofted off drive for six – the first of this innings. Dilruwan now comes back into the attack and Vijay goes after him straight away, but fails to put away a juicy full toss.

Meanwhile in the commentary box...

100-run partnership between Vijay and Pujara: Their 10th in Tests, 9th batting together for the 2nd wicket and fourth on the trot! Don’t the two love batting together? Pujara celebrates that with showing some intent, with an exquisite backfoot punch past point for four. He’s now trying to play more shots. India 114/1 after 49 overs, Pujara 40 Vijay 66.

DROPPED, Vijay survives: Just a couple of overs back, Vijay drove Gamage past mid-on, uppishly, but powerfully to get the first boundary post-lunch. Chandimal then smartly puts a fielder at silly mid-on, right next to the non-striker and Gamage again tempts Vijay with a full ball and he obliges with another uppish on-drive. Dilruwan puts it down though! It was high, powerful but really, should have been taken – falls on Pujara after dropping it, but his presence was no excuse. India 102/1 after 42 overs, the scoring rate has gone down again. (Pujara 33, Vijay 61)

12:10 pm: Alright then, the players are out in the middle for the second session. Will India up the ante even further? Let’s find out. Pujara on strike.

11:45 pm: India putting their foot down in Nagpur, join us for the second session. Meanwhile in Brisbane, a Steve Smith epic puts Australia ahead in a fascinating Test match.

Lunch in Nagpur, India 97/1: A session of two-halves for India (so to speak). A very watchful first hour – with one run in five overs at one point of time, leading into the drinks break – followed by a confident 2nd hour. First 16 overs went for 32 runs, next 15 overs went for 54 runs. Not surprising given the styles of Pujara and Vijay. Sri Lanka, to their credit, tried to keep it tight but once again their fourth and fifth bowlers are being targeted here. Both Shanaka and Dilruwan have been expensive.

Fifty for M Vijay on his comeback! And what a way to get there – a majestic on-drive off Shanaka (a bowlers he’s taken a clear liking to in the past 30 minutes). He has scored 31 runs off the last 36 balls, a far cry from the scoring rate in the morning. As he often does, Vijay is beginning to up the rate after getting his eye firmly in. Dilruwan Perera at the other end is getting the treatment from both Pujara and Vijay – especially the former. He has taken the attack to Dilruwan, stepping down the track and finding the boundary either side of the wicket. India 92/1 after 35 overs.

Half chance for Sri Lanka: Vijay has shifted gears but goes for a risky big shot against Dilruwan (who has started in expensive fashion) and the lofted off drive evades Chandimal, running back from mid-off. Vijay closing in on his fifty.

India 57/1 after 28 overs: Vijay gets going after drinks, and 50 comes up for India. Shanaka comes on soon after drinks, and Vijay welcomes him with two boundaries – One uppish square drive and one exquisite extra cover drive. Pujara continues to remain watchful from the other end against Herath. The 50 partnership up in 143 balls between the duo.

The pitch, though not a pacer’s delight, has shown enough variation in bounce that’s perhaps forced the Indian batsmen to slow down:

Drinks in Nagpur, after 24 overs India 43/1: Yes, you read that right. Just ONE run in the last FIVE overs. Four consecutive maidens, followed by a one-run over as the players take the first break of the day. Gamage and Herath bowling in tandem and building the pressure on India here. Pujara and Vijay, oddly, are being ultra defensive. Towards the end there, Pujara tries to break free by stepping down the track to Herath but finds the fielder. 32 runs from the first hour today. But there is still plenty of time left in the day and it’s around this time in their innings that both Vijay and Pujara start upping the ante.

Oh, dear Sri Lanka – chances missed! Herath induces two chances off one ball against Vijay and both go begging. Vijay steps down and plays a defensive forward push, the bat-pad chance goes quickly to the short leg fielder and he puts down a tough chance. But Vijay has gone quite the ways forward and the fielder has enough time to flick it back on to the stumps to effect a runout. The ‘keeper, had he not rushed forward ahead of the stumps, could have sent Vijay back. The opener survives.

Overall, a very patient start from India. 31 runs in the 11 overs so far today. After 19 overs, India 42/1

India 33/1 after 14 overs: Boy, the green tinge on the pitch is almost gone and there is not much in it for the quicks. Not that it was too lively yesterday, but today it just looks like the most typical Indian track – the balls sitting up with a spongy bounce. Not great carry as well. Patience from both the batsmen so far but Vijay places another exquisite shot off Gamage through the covers for four. Lakmal, meanwhile, bowls a peach to Pujara - very similar to the 2nd innings dismissal in Kolkata – short and climbing outside off, Pujara follows it but misses it. First signs of some life in the pitch.

And not surprisingly, Herath is already on. Pujara welcomes him with dancing down the track and converting a flighted ball into a full toss, flicking for four.

And we are underway on day 2, India 16/1 after 9 overs: Sri Lanka’s spearhead Suranga Lakmal starts things off. An exquisite square drive off the front foot by the Chennai opener (albeit playing away from the body) for a four. Leaves the next ball at the same spot. Takes a single with a dab to midwicket and Pujara plays out the over.

Big innings for Vijay, toil ahead for Sri Lanka.

Rahul missed out with his late dismissal on the first day, but this morning session will be crucial for M Vijay especially. Many thought, if fit, he’ll walk into the XI as a first choice opener but Shikhar Dhawan’s recent form seems to have changed that. Vijay would love to keep himself in the mix with a big score.

And despite the green tinge, this seemed like most Indian pitches – more for spinners, but when the hit is beating down on days one and two, it’ll be good for batting. Today is likely to be the best time to bat and Indian batsmen will be smacking their lips.

Day 2

India will begin day 2 at 11-1 and will hope that their batsmen will be able to drive home the advantage in good batting conditions. The innings will be especially important for Murali Vijay and Rohit Sharma, who will both be trying to show the team management that they are back at their best.

Done in by the straighter one

At close of play on Day 1, Sri Lanka coach Nic Pothas clarified that there were “no demons” in the VCA stadium track and rued the manner in which six of his batsmen got out to straight deliveries on the first day of the second Test against India here.

“The wicket has got no demons. It hasn’t spun, it hasn’t seamed. There were six straight ball dismissals. At the international level it’s no surprise that Ravindra Jadeja bowls straight balls. Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja got wickets bowling stump to stump.

“At this level, you can’t be missing straight balls,” Pothas said at the end of the first day’s play when his team skittled out for a meagre 205.

Pothas said that at best, the ball was skidding at the Jamtha strip.

“In the last series, the wickets spun. You are talking of the two top spinners (Ashwin and Jadeja) of the world. It was a different kettle of fish. Here the wicket didn’t do anything. All what it has done was to skid on a bit. On a wicket that hasn’t done much, we lost seven wickets to spin.

“It is a disappointing change room as the guys have set themselves high standards. They are going to be disappointed. In any process, you are going to have those disappointments.”