India vs Sri Lanka 2017: 3rd Test, day 1, 5 things we learnt from the day

Helped by contrasting 150s from Virat Kohli and Murali Vijay, India put on 371/4 on day 1 of the third and final Test of the series against Sri Lanka at Delhi. The local boy, Virat Kohli was in pristine touch and plummeted a century at nearly run a ball while the 'Monk' , as Vijay is called, stood firm at one end.

While both of them threatened to eclipse the 200 mark, Vijay departed late in the day as Lakshan Sandakan had him stumped. The chinaman spinner then went on to castle Ajinkya Rahane in a similar manner to end the day slightly (ever so slightly) better for the visitors. A Virat Kohli double ton looms large on day 2.

Here are the major talking points from the day's play:

#5 India's South Africa preparation goes awry

Kohli would have wanted a green tinged surface at Delhi

"I am surprised they are saying they are preparing for South Africa but they are giving these pitches," Chandimal had sarcastically said a day prior to the Delhi Test. Virat Kohli saw the pitch at Delhi and immediately expressed that he expected a bit more of grass on the pitch but with what he had in hand, Kohli could just bat first and try to give his batsmen a bit of a test early on.

Surprisingly though, the thinktank opted to go with two spinners yet again, despite the presence of Vijay Shankar in the squad. Ideally, this Test would have served as an opportunity to try the Tamil Nadu all-rounder before the squad for the South African series was named. But the purpose was lost on the Indians.

#4 Dilruwan Perera creates Sri Lankan history

Perera dismissed Dhawan to pick up his 100th Test scalp

In the absence of Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera was always expected to step up for the Sri Lankans. The spin bowling all-rounder hasn't quite had much of a success against India but showed signs of becoming an improved bowler during Sri Lanka's heist at UAE against Pakistan.

Perera was perched at 99 Test wickets walking in to the Delhi Test against India. The off-spinner came onto bowl rather early in the Indian innings, possibly because he had Dhawan, a left-hander, to bowl at. The move paid rich dividends as Perera removed the southpaw, on his home turf, miscued a booming sweep to gift a catch to backward square leg. It was the Lankan's 100th Test wicket.

Having got there in just 25 Tests, he was the quickest Sri Lankan bowler to achieve that. The previous record was held by Muttiah Muralitharan, who got there in 27 Tests.

#3 Murali Vijay makes himself indispensable

Vijay has been on top of his game since being called back to the starting XI

There was a huge ruckus when Murali Vijay was dropped from the Test squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka in Kolkata. After all, Vijay had been India's most well equipped batsman on overseas tours and it did not make sense to sit him out close to a South African series. Vijay slammed a hundred at Nagpur to underline his value in the side.

At Delhi, the Tamil Nadu opener once again came out determined to prove a point and did exactly that with a fabulous century. The solid opener was at no point tested and effortlessly eased to an eleventh Test hundred.

While Virat Kohli rampaged his way to a run a ball century, Vijay was more circumspect yet as solid as you need from an opening batsman. He was out stumped to Lakshan Sandakan on 155 but not before all but cementing his spot in South Africa.

#2 Virat Kohli is Sri Lanka's nemesis

Kohli smashed his third successive hundred of the series

Virat Kohli became the first Indian after Rahul Dravid in 2002 to hit three Test hundreds on the trot after he once again dug into the Sri Lankan attack and made light work of their hapless bowling unit. A remarkable feature of Kohli's 20th Test hundred was his strike rate.

Blazing away at a 90+ strike rate, the Indian skipper was unstoppable at his home ground and led India to a daunting total by the end of the day. He stitched together a fine partnership with the more calm Murali Vijay and the contrasting styles of the batsmen had Lanka in a fix.

Runs came thick and fast as the Lankans watched helplessly and the Indian captain continued to break new barriers and create records aplenty.

#1 Clueless Lanka have a horrendous day

Suranga Lakmal and his fellow pacers were totally off the radar

Sri Lanka have had horrible days on the cricketing field off late. But few would have been as worse as today, when Virat Kohli and Murali Vijay stitched together a 283-run partnership. The Indian skipper was aggressive and took full toll of an attack with no plan while Vijay settled himself in, took his time and managed his fourth 150+ score in Tests.

If not for Sandakan's twin strike late in the day, Sri Lanka would have walked off pondering why they were playing Test cricket at all. Their seam bowlers were off the radar and their spinners, in the absence of Rangana Herath, had no idea what they were bowling. The scorecard was a pretty good reflection of how Lanka bowled.