Electing to bat, Sri Lanka recovered from an early collapse to dominate the day, Wekunagoda anchoring the innings with a stunning knock.
India will bat first before Sri Lanka recovers
India got off to a good start after pacer Kavya Paresh Patel dismissed all the openers in the first three overs.
Patel dismissed Dimantha Mahavithana for 2 and Dulnith Sigera for a duck as Sri Lanka slipped to 3 for 2.
However, the visitors failed to capitalize on the advantage as the home side made a remarkable recovery.
Wekunagoda shines with an unbeaten 203
Coming in at number 3, Wekunagoda batted throughout the day and remained unbeaten on 203 off 227 balls at stumps. His best record was 31 boundaries.
He got solid support from captain Vimath Dinsara, who made 52 off 99 balls with four fours. The pair added 143 runs for the third wicket to settle the innings.
After Dinsara was dismissed, Wekunagoda put together a crucial partnership of 128 runs with Kavija Gamage, who narrowly missed out on a half-century after scoring 49 off 121 balls, including four fours.
Heenatigala adds to India’s frustration
Wekunagoda then combined with Chamika Heenatigala, who was unbeaten on 33 off 77 balls, to add to an unbroken 70-run stand for the fifth wicket.
This partnership ensured that Sri Lanka finished the opening day strongly.
Indian bowlers struggle to win
Apart from Patel’s early burst, the Indian bowlers did not fare well.
Patel finished with figures of 2 for 54, while Pranav Ragavendra and Yashbardhan Chauhan took one wicket each.
India rotated seven players on the afternoon but struggled to stop Sri Lanka, bowled out for 89 overs as Wekunagoda’s marathon innings put the hosts in a strong display.
Sri Lanka entered the Youth Test series on a showdown after winning the three-match Youth ODI series 2-1.
