Sri Lankan batsman Malinda Warnapura looks up after scoring his 50 during the first day of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka, yesterday. - AP

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP):

MALINDA WARNAPURA hit his third Test half-century yesterday as Sri Lanka reached 85-2 at close of a rain-shortened opening day of the first Test against India.

Overnight and morning rain and wet ground meant only 22 overs were bowled in two hours.

Sri Lanka's captain, Mahela Jayawardene, won the toss and elected to bat first but soon lost his opener Michael Vandort with the total at seven.

Vandort (three) played at an Ishant Sharma delivery that was rising and moving away from his body, and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik.

Threatening partnership

Left-armer Zaheer Khan ended a threatening 50-run partnership between Malinda Warnapura and Kumar Sangakkara (12) when he forced an edge off Sangakkara to Rahul Dravid at slip.

The two dismissed batsmen appeared to have wasted good batting conditions at the Sinhalese Sports Club, with the pitch offering little threat despite sweating under covers for hours.

Warnapura was unbeaten on 50 from 74 balls with six boundaries. Jayawardene was batting on 16 when the batsmen accepted the umpires' offer of bad light.

Sharma bowled tidily to finish with 1-21 after seven overs, while Khan returned 1-42.