r ashwin, india cricket
Indian batsman Ravichandran Ashwin plays a shot during the second cricket test match Between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Aug. 4, 2017Surjeet Yadav/IANS

Sri Lanka posted 50/2 in their first innings in reply to India's mammoth total of 622/9 declared at stumps on Day 2 of their second Test match at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Friday August 4.

Kusal Mendis (16 not out) and Dinesh Chandimal (8 not out) were at the crease when the umpires decided to call it a day.

India now have a lead of 572 runs.

Star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin made good use of the considerable turn being offered by the pitch to remove Lankan openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Upul Tharanga.

Earlier, the Lankans struck twice to send back overnight centurions Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane even as India added 98 runs in the morning session to post 442/5 at lunch.

Resuming the day at 344/3, India lost Pujara (133) in the second over of the day, trapped in front by part-timer Dimuth Karunaratne before Rahane (132) and Ashwin consolidated the innings with a 63-run fifth wicket stand.

Pujara looked good during his brief stay on the second morning, fetching a boundary off Karunaratne, before the next delivery ended his 232-ball vigil.

cheteshwar pujara
India's Cheteshwar Pujara celebrates his centurySurjeet Yadav/IANS

The Saurashtra right-hander who had by now added 217 runs with Rahane, was hit on his thighs by a back of a length delivery from Karunaratne, resulting in loud appeals from the hosts.

The on-field umpire however, did not budge and the home side immediately asked for a referral which got them the prized wicket.

The fall of Pujara, brought in the dependable Ashwin, who started briskly striking two boundaries off Rangana Herath and Karunaratne before slowing down a bit.

The right-handed duo of Ashwin and Rahane continued to frustrate the Sri Lankans, stealing the odd boundaries and rotating the strike at a good rate to raise their 50-run stand in no time.

In his attempt to accelerate after India crossed the psychological 400-run mark, Rahane perished to debutant left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara, smartly stumped by Niroshan Dickwella after facing 222 balls and sending the ball 14 times to the fence.

Rahane's dismissal brought a sigh of relief to the Sri Lankan camp, as wicketkeeper-batsman Saha and Ashwin safely guided India to 442/5 at the lunch break.

End of Day 2 - Brief Scores: Sri Lanka (first innings): 50/2 (Kusal Mendis 16 batting; Ravichandran Ashwin 2/38) vs India (first innings): 622/9 declared (Cheteshwar Pujara 133, Ajinkya Rahane 132, Ravindra Jadeja 70 not out; Rangana Herath 4/154).