Hardik Pandya wreaks havoc, slams maiden ton in Pallekele Test vs Sri Lanka

Hardik Pandya smashed his maiden century to put India in a commanding position on Day 2 of third and the final Test against Sri Lanka at Pallekele.

Hardik Pandya underlined his potential by smashing a belligerent unbeaten hundred, his first in Test cricket, to help India wrest the initiative from Sri Lanka in the first innings of the third Test being played at the Pallekele International Stadium. (SL vs IND UPDATES)

Hardik Pandya (L) gestures towards dressing room as he celebrates his maiden century during the second day's play of the third cricket Test match between India and Sri Lanka at Pallekele. (AP)

Pandya reached the hundred off 86 balls with seven fours and seven sixes. He moved from fifty to hundred off just 25 balls with two fours and six sixes. (SL vs IND SCORECARD)

For Pandya, who made his debut in the opening Test of the series, the hundred came in just his third innings in Tests. Earlier, he took 61 balls to reach his half-century with the aid of 5 fours and one six, to help India recover from the setback of losing Wriddhiman Saha early.

Pandya simply went berserk after the loss of the ninth wicket and in one over from left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara smashed two fours and three sixes to plunder 26 runs off five balls to surge into the 80s. He moved into the 90s with a hook for six off Lahiru Kumara, and then smashed chinaman bowler Lakshan Sandakan over long-on to go to 97. A double to covers took him to 99 and the hundred was reached with a straight drive off Kumara.

Pandya got invaluable support from Kuldeep Yadav, the two sharing a 62-run partnership (117 balls) for the eighth wicket. Kuldeep made 26 runs (73 balls, 2 fours) before he was eighth out at the total of 401 off 117 balls.