India were reeling on 17 for three when bad light forced play to stop.
Sri Lanka pacer Suranga Lakmal bowled a spell of fiery fast bowling on a green track to put India on backfoot on a stop-start opening day of the rain-hit first test on Thursday.
The hosts were reeling on 17 for three when bad light forced play to stop early. Earlier, visiting skipper Dinesh Chandimal won the toss and opted to bowl under overcast conditions.
The morning session was lost to rain, which is also forecast to affect play in the next couple of days. The match started three and half hours late due to wet ground conditions.
India opted for a left-right opening combination and Shikhar Dhawan walked out with Lokesh Rahul after Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal won the toss and unsurprisingly elected to field in overcast conditions.
Lakmal struck with the first ball of the match, dismissing Rahul caught behind with a delivery that pitched just outside the off-stump and the extra bounce beat the batsman. The golden duck ended Rahul's streak of seven successive fifties.
The 30-year-old also breached Cheteshwar Pujara's defence in the same over but the batsman survived as the ball missed the stumps.
Dhawan hit Lahiru Gamage for a boundary but threw away his wicket playing a rash drive, dragging a Lakmal delivery on to his stumps to depart for eight.
Lakmal nearly dismissed Kohli but the India captain's flick fell short of mid-wicket.
Pujara took 23 balls to get off the mark, which he did with a streaky boundary off Gamage. His next scoring shot, another boundary off the same bowler, was more convincing as India's number three elegantly straight drove him past mid-on.
Tea was taken early after bad light caused an interruption.
When the play resumed for a brief period Lakmal sent back Kohli, without scoring, as the Indian player was found plumb in front of the wicket.
Shorty after that bad light caused play to be stopped for the final time. When the play stopped Lakmal has bowled six straight maiden overs.
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 "Lakmal India vs Sri Lanka")
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