Indian captain Ravikant Shukla won the Premadasa Stadium toss and opted to bat first, aiming to negotiate the early seam and swing movement inevitable on the green-tinged wicket, sending Cheteshwar Pujara and Gaurav Dhiman in against the English pace pair of Mark Nelson and Huw Waters. Pujara was reprieved in the third over by Varun Chopra at slip off Nelson, and despite Waters finding smart seam position and significant movement, the strength and power of Dhiman's bat brought the opening batsman 18 off the Glamorgan swing bowler's third over.
As Dhiman's assault continued, England were forced to turn to spin in the tenth with Graeme White and supersub Nick James - on for Andrew Miller - in harness. White made the breakthrough in his third over, a change of pace from the Northamptonshire left-armer prompting an ugly swat across the line from the opener. The ball, striking the toe, looped up and over the head of Rory Hamilton-Brown at wide mid-on, who sprinted back and dived full length to grasp the opportunity. James, meanwhile, had less good fortune, struggling to control his line and proving expensive.