India vs Sri Lanka 2017: 2nd Test day 2, 5 talking points

The lopsided contest at the SSC continued as India posted a mammoth 622/9 before declaring, by which time five of their batsmen had scored 50+ in the innings. The menacing Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, both of who had scored half-centuries, returned with the cherry to bowl 17 of the 20 overs in the Lankan first innings with the former plucking out two of the left-hander's at the top of the order.

Sri Lanka finished the day on 50/2, with their skipper Dinesh Chandimal, who started his innings with a crack over long-on off Ashwin, and the talented Kusal Mendis taking them to stumps.

Earlier, India lost their overnight centurions, Pujara and Rahane in the 130s but Ashwin, Saha and Jadeja compiled half-centuries to take India to their sixth 600+ total since December last year.

Brief Scores: India 622/9d (Pujara 133, Rahane 132, Herath 4/154) Sri Lanka 50/2 (Karunaratne 25, Mendis 16*, Ashwin 2/38)

Here are the talking points from the second Test day 2 at SSC.

#5 Pujara and Rahane miss out on double hundreds

Karunaratne's innocuous seamers got rid of Pujara

With Lanka looking well and truly uninspiring and lacking any sort of plan with the ball, a double hundred was on offer for India's overnight batsmen and centurions, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. The duo had been largely unperturbed all through Day 1 and looked completely occupied in their respective zones. A wicket looked well and truly far off.

The lack of change up option with Pradeep out injured also affected Sri Lanka but the injury prompted Chandimal to go back to Karunaratne's dibbly-dobbly seamer's which eventually trapped Pujara leg before wicket for 133. Rahane hung around effortlessly in the company of Ashwin at six, putting on a silky 63-run stand, before he overconfidently danced down the track to to debutant Pushpakumara - only to be stumped for 132.

India were definitely way ahead in the game but the duo had wasted opportunities to make double hundreds against a lacklustre attack and tired fielders in the outfield.

#4 Strange selection costs Lanka

Chandimal's woes doubled as Pradeep hobbled off the field

It was bizarre to watch Lanka go into the Test match with just one regular seamer in Nuwan Pradeep. True, the lanky seamer has been Sri Lanka's best bowler at Galle while Lahiru Kumara - picked to complement him in the seam attack, was pathetic. But given Pradeep's tryst with injuries, it was an awful call to say the least.

Dilruwan Perera had shown ominous signs with the bat and if they were adamant on playing three spinners, an extra fast bowler could have been picked at the expense of a batsman. Things turned out for the worse as Lanka lost Pradeep to a hamstring injury on Day 1, just four deliveries into the second new ball.

That it cost them big time would in itself be an understatement. Chandimal had to resort to Karunaratne's mild medium pacers for a change up.

#3 Ashwin's form with the willow strikes a new question

Ashwin stroked an effortless half-century

Such has been Ravichandran Ashwin's performances with the bat that Kohli had pushed him up to number six in the Test batting line-up right throughout the home summer. The trend continued here in Lanka with the RPS man justifying the call yet again with an easy peasy half-century although he did survive a few close calls.

That said, the move is a questionable one with India scheduled to play in England and South Africa in the coming days. Can Ashwin hold himself together at six on greener tracks? It remains to be seen.

But the fact that India have barely tried a proper batsman at that position since Karun Nair's drop is strange. They might be caught grappling for options if Ashwin fails at 6 on bigger tours.

Meanwhile, the off-spinner completed the double of 2000 runs and 200 Test wickets, becoming the second quickest Indian to the landmark after Kapil Dev, who took one Test fewer.

#2 Saha and Jadeja slam half-centuries to pile.on the wound

Jadeja slammed an unbeaten 70 off 85 balls

By the second session of Day 2, India were firmly in the driver's seat and well on their way to another 600+ total, their sixth since December 2016. There was enough leeway for the likes of Saha and Jadeja to express themselves, which they did with aplomb. Saha slammed a half-century at a strike rate of 50 while Jadeja, sporting a Rustom style look, took to the pitch fired up and smoked an 85 ball 70.

There was little Lanka could do to halt the Indian juggernaut as one after the other batsmen slaked in and scored half-centuries. Jadeja's half-century took India's tally of players with half-centuries in the series to 10. He looked well set for a maiden hundred but Kohli was happy to give him the cherry sooner as he declared with India still a wicket away from being bowled out.

#1 Lanka sink late in the day

Ashwin struck twice to leave Lanka dented

With India posting 622, Sri Lanka had an Everest to climb and were least helped by the fact that the pitch had started taking huge turns. Ashwin, who loves to take the new ball, was handed the brand new red cherry by the Indian captain, and delivered in his first over, getting rid of Tharanga with a harmless ball that the opener tucked straight to forward short-leg.

He wasn't done though and dismissed Karunaratne, the man who had resisted India in the second innings at Galle, in the 14th over. This time, the ball dipped and drifted in before taking sharp turn to find the left-hander's edge on its way to Rahane's bucket hands at slip.