Day 1 Report: Sri Lanka batsmen made merry against a docile bowling attack by Board President's XI, posting 411/6 declared at stumps on the first day of their two-day warm-up tie at the Jadavpur University campus ground on Saturday.
Opener Sadeera Samarawickrama (74 off 77; 13x4) top-scored for the tourists, who tackled the third-string Board President's XI bowlers with ease with as many as four batsmen scoring half centuries.
Sri Lankan players celebrate the dismissal of Board President's XI batsman Tanya Agarwal. AP
At the end of play, Niroshan Dickwella was batting on 73 with Roshen Silva for company on 36.
Kerala medium-pacer Sandeep Warrier returned best figures of 2/60 with leg-spinner Akash Bhandari also bagging two wickets.
What should augur well for the Dinesh Chandimal-led side is the fact that fit-again Angelo Mathews got back into the groove although he was not very fluent during his 93-ball 54.
The former captain, who could not take part in the recent Pakistan series due to a calf injury, hit six fours and also got a reprieve on 53 when Jiwanjot Singh dropped him at first slip off Jalaj Saxena's bowling just before tea. Mathews retired after the break.
Before Mathews, openers Samarawickrama and Dimuth Karunaratne got off to a good start, engineering a 134-run stand for the first wicket.
Samarawickrama looked good for his fluent 74 off just 77 balls, his innings studded with 13 fours before Avesh Khan removed the right-hander who tried to hook the Madhya Pradesh pacer to fine-leg where Tanmay Agarwal took the catch.
Karunaratne hit seven boundaries before retiring on a 62-ball 50 while Lahiru Thirimanne (17) missed out on a big score, leggie Bhandari getting his wicket.
Chandimal -- in the thick of runs coming into the India series having amassed 224 runs in four innings against Pakistan at an average of 74.67 -- took his time in the middle playing 65 balls for his 29 before retiring.
The big-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella struck a quickfire 38-ball 53 before retiring while all-rounder Dilruwan Perera tonked a couple of sixes en route his 44-ball 48 before Warrier got his wicket.
Dickwella was back towards the end of the day to continue his surge and end the day unbeaten on 73 off just 59 balls.
Warrier's second scalp was the promising Dhananjaya De Silva who could manage only 10 off 17 balls. Pacer Suranga Lakmal went for three with Bhandari getting him trapped in front. Saxena also got a wicket, that of Dasun Shanaka who contributed just two runs to the total.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 411/6 decl (Sadeera Samarawickrama 74, Niroshan Dickwella 73 not out, Angelo Mathews 54, Dimuth Karunaratne 50; Sandeep Warrier 2/60)
With inputs from IANS
HIGHLIGHTS
So after Board President XI scoring 287 runs in their innings, following Sri Lanka's 411 on the first day, the match between Board President XI and Sri Lanka has ended in a draw.
Sanju Samson falls early in the third session. The captain is caught behind by Dickwella off Samarawickrama for a wonderfully crafted 128 runs . The Board President's XI have now scored 255 for the loss of 5 wickets.
Sanju Samson completes his century.
This brings us to the end of the second session. Samson remains unbeaten on 85 while B Sandeep is still there, having scored 13 runs in the process.
After 54 overs, Board President XI 202/4 ( Sanju Samson 84, B Sandeep 13)
Sanju Samson has made sure his team crosses 200 as he himself gets closer to a century. B Sandeep has made 13 runs coming in at No 6.
Rohan Prem departs after scoring 39 runs, out LBW to a delivery from Dhananjaya de Silva. Meanwhile, Board President XI have crossed the 150-run mark.
Sanju Samson scores a fifty!
Hosts end the first session of the day with 89 runs for the loss of 2 wickets.
After 10 overs, Board President XI 31/2 ( Jiwanjot Singh 8, Sanju Samson 0)
Akash Bhandari falls to a catch by Dasun Shanaka off the bowling of Lahiru Thirimanne. Thirimanne's second wicket of the day.
The visitors have taken their first wicket! Lahiru Thirimanne takes the wicket of Tanmay Agarwal via LBW.
So Board President XI's openers Tanmay Agarwal and Jiwanjot Singh have walked out to the middle. The play has started on day two as Dimuth Karunaratne bowls the first over.
The match provided a good opportunity for the visitors to get a grasp of the Indian conditions and their batsmen enjoyed a good day on Saturday, with four of them scoring half-centuries. For Board President XI, the second day was good as their captain Sanju Samson score a free-flowing century to keep himself in selector's radar.
Thank you for joining in during the warm-up game between Board President XI and Sri Lanka.
Do join us on Thursday when India take on Sri Lanka in the first Test at Kolkata.
So after Board President XI scoring 287 runs in their innings, following Sri Lanka's 411 on the first day, the match between Board President XI and Sri Lanka has ended in a draw.
After 75 overs, Board President XI 287/5 (B Sandeep 33, Jalaj Saxena 20)
Sandeep has now scored 33 off 74 balls while Jalaj is batting on 20 after facing 50 balls.
After 70 overs, Board President XI 277/5 (B Sandeep 27, Jalaj Saxena 16)
Board President XI are slowly moving towards the total of 300 with close to two hours left in the day.
After 65 overs, Board President XI 261/5 (B Sandeep 22, Jalaj Saxena 5)
Jalaj Saxena has made his way to the crease following the dismissal of Sanju Samson.
Sanju Samson falls early in the third session. The captain is caught behind by Dickwella off Samarawickrama for a wonderfully crafted 128 runs . The Board President's XI have now scored 255 for the loss of 5 wickets.
Sanju Samson completes his century.
After 56 overs, Board President XI 219/4 (Sanju Samson 98, B Sandeep 16)
We are back with the third session and Sanju Samson has stepped up on the accelerator. He has scored quick runs in the third session and is just two runs away from a well deserved century against the Lankan side.
This brings us to the end of the second session. Samson remains unbeaten on 85 while B Sandeep is still there, having scored 13 runs in the process.
After 54 overs, Board President XI 202/4 ( Sanju Samson 84, B Sandeep 13)
Sanju Samson has made sure his team crosses 200 as he himself gets closer to a century. B Sandeep has made 13 runs coming in at No 6.
Rohan Prem departs after scoring 39 runs, out LBW to a delivery from Dhananjaya de Silva. Meanwhile, Board President XI have crossed the 150-run mark.
After 44 overs, Board President XI 148/3 ( Sanju Samson 65, Rohan Prem 24)
Sanju Samson is making good use of the opportunity against the Sri Lankan team, having scored 65 runs already.
Captain Sanju is batting on 57, while Rohan has accumulated 15 runs by the end of the 40th over.
After 37 overs, Board President XI 117/3 ( Sanju Samson 53, Rohan Prem 6)
The captain has made a half century. Rohan Prem has come out to join him at the fall of the third wicket.
Sanju Samson scores a fifty!
Jiwanjot's stay ends as Dilruwan Perera takes his wicket! Niroshan Dickwella completes the catch.
After 30 overs, Board President XI 99/2 ( Jiwanjot Singh 35, Sanju Samson 41)
Sanju Samson is closing on a fifty as the partnership between the duo continues to grow.
The players have made their way back after the break. Suranga Lakmal bowls the first over in the second session of the day.
Hosts end the first session of the day with 89 runs for the loss of 2 wickets.
After 27 overs, Board President XI 89/2 ( Jiwanjot Singh 28, Sanju Samson 38)
The Sanju-Jiwanjot partnership is worth 58 runs now. Board President XI closing in on 100 runs.
After 22 overs, Board President XI 76/2 ( Jiwanjot Singh 25, Sanju Samson 28)
Sanju Samson would be hoping to impress the national selectors with a good performance in this match.
After 18 overs, Board President XI 60/2 ( Jiwanjot Singh 21, Sanju Samson 16)
The two players are slowly building a partnership. Sri Lanka have brought on Rangana Herath and Dasun Shanaka. Angelo Mathews too has bowled 3 overs.
After 13 overs, Board President XI 46/2 ( Jiwanjot Singh 11, Sanju Samson 12)
The captain, Sanju Samson, and opener Jiwanjot Singh are trying to stop more wickets from falling after Thirimanne took the wickets of Tanmay Agarwal and Akash Bhandari earlier in the day.
After 10 overs, Board President XI 31/2 ( Jiwanjot Singh 8, Sanju Samson 0)
Akash Bhandari falls to a catch by Dasun Shanaka off the bowling of Lahiru Thirimanne. Thirimanne's second wicket of the day.
The visitors have taken their first wicket! Lahiru Thirimanne takes the wicket of Tanmay Agarwal via LBW.
After 5 overs, Board President XI 19/0 ( Tanmay Agarwal 11, Jiwanjot Singh 4)
Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne have started the proceedings for the visitors.
So Board President XI's openers Tanmay Agarwal and Jiwanjot Singh have walked out to the middle. The play has started on day two as Dimuth Karunaratne bowls the first over.
Hello and welcome to Firstpost's live blog of the second day of the warm-up match between Board President's XI and Sri Lanka to be played in Kolkata today.
After the visitors' decision to declare their innings yesterday, it will be the turn of Sanju Samson and Co to bat today.
Stay tuned for live score and updates from the warm-up match.