Colombo | India were put under some early pressure as Sri Lanka jettisoned KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, reducing the visitors to 88 for two at lunch on the opening day of the second Test here on Sunday.

Devdutt Padikkal (13) and captain Shubman Gill (11) were at the crease at the end of the first session.

After opting to bat, India started solidly through Rahul (18) and Jaiswal (45), who added a trouble-free 37 runs for the first wicket.

Jaiswal was particularly impressive as he eschewed the cut shot, which has led to his peril often in the past, to a good extent.

The left-hander smashed pacer Lahiru Kumara for two boundaries in succession, before executing a wonderful cover drive off left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.

Rahul was as restrained as ever but showed a glimpse of his shot-making ability, lifting Jayasuriya for a six straight over the head of the bowler.

But the trouble came without any warning. Rahul went for a square cut off Kumara, but the laden feet shot only produced an edge to Niroshan Dickwella behind the stumps.

Jaiswal looked primed for a bigger score but soon fell to Asitha Fernando. The pacer produced a peach of a nip-backer to breach the Indian's defence and a little drama followed that dismissal.

Fernando gave Jaiswal, who had sledged Dickwella in the second innings of the first Test at Galle, a send-off and the Indian opener turned back to have a few words with Lankan with his helmet touching the forehead of the pacer.

But the situation was soon defused by Lankan skipper Dhananjaya de Silva.

However, De Silva had a less flattering moment soon as he dropped Devdutt Padikkal at backward point off spinner Keshara Nuwantha.

Padikkal was on one then, and Gill too played out the remainder of the session without much trouble.