COLOMBO: Rishabh Pant's gallant fight against Sri Lankan pacers during his unbeaten 63 was the highlight of an engrossing first session after which India found themselves at a comfortable 419 for six on the second day of the second and final Test here on Monday.
Pant and an equally impressive Dhurv Jurel (59) were batting at lunch after the tourists resumed from 300 for five, and the seventh wicket pair has so far added 112 runs.
Sri Lanka found an immediate breakthrough as Asitha Fernando jettisoned debutant Saransh Jain for six.
India were 307 for six then and also in need of some more runs to pull away from the hosts.
Pant, who had to retire on three last evening after copping a blow on his forearm from Lahiru Kumara, walked in next, and there was a tinge of apprehension about his fitness.
But he allayed a lot of concerns -- about him and about the team's position -- during his near two-hour stay at the crease, batting with confidence and little discomfort.
The eventual runs against his name might look good, but Pant had to dig deep to reach that mark.
Pacers Fernando and Kumara targeted his body with a bouncer barrage, and the former even managed to ping on his shoulder once.
However, Pant was equal to the task, either moving away from the line or nudging the ball around. There was an explosive moment too, when the left-hander got inside the line to hook Kumara over fine leg for a six.
Pant, who made a 66 in the second innings at Galle, reached his fifty in 81 balls with a pulled four off off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha, whom he had earlier punished for two fours in a row.
The wicketkeeper batter celebrated the moment with a thundering maximum off left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.
On the other hand, Jurel was solid and the lone anxious moment came when Jayasuriya went for a loud leg before appeal after going past his outstretched bat with an arm ball.
But the right-hander too went past his second fifty of this series, pulling Jayasuriya for a four.