Debutant Ben Foakes stars in England recovery

Foakes walked out to bat with half of England's side back in the hut with the scoreboard reading just over 100 runs – a daunting task to be thrown into on your debut Test. But Foakes responded with flying colours, headlining a fine England recovery with a patient unbeaten 87, receiving help from Jos Buttler, Sam Curran and Adil Rashid.

The day began poorly for England after they won the toss and chose to bat, with Suranga Lakmal taking two in two to remove Rory Burns and Moeen Ali. Burns, also making his debut, suffered an unlucky dismissal tickling a ball down the leg-side to the keeper, failing to get enough bat on the attempted flick. Lakmal then came from round the wicket and got one to straighten to send Ali's stumps flying.

Keaton Jennings, who has had a torrid time in Tests of late, then looked in good touch and put on a brisk 62-run stand with captain Joe Root, which provided some relief before there was an outbreak of wickets once again.

The breakthrough was made by swansong man Rangana Herath. Playing his final Test, he prised up his 100th wicket at Galle alone, and more importantly, it was the England captain he dismissed. Root came down the track but ended up yorking himself, and couldn't jam down his bat in time.

Jennings continued batting positively until he was dismissed for 46 by Dilruwan Perera, paying the price for attempting a cut shot without having the room for it. Ben Stokes wasn't to last too long, Perera disturbing his stumps when he attempted a sweep shot.

England's top-order woes which have been prominent in the recent times dogged them again, but the late resurgence which has come to characterise them in was also to feature on the day one drama.

Foakes joined Jos Buttler and the two adopted a cautious approach to add 61 runs together, signalling the start of the fightback. Buttler had been batting well but an indecisive prod came, and he was caught behind off Perera.

Sam Curran then arrived and picked up from where Buttler left off, happy to defend but not wary of taking on the odd scoring opportunity. Together with Foakes, he forged an 88-run stand to further improve England's position.

Curran perished two short of his fifty, trying to power a flighted one off Akila Dananjaya through cover, only for the ball to turn and take his edge en route to Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal at slip.

Adil Rashid, the next man in, decided to go all guns blazing. Before too long he had hammered two big sixes with a big and enthusiastic England crowd cheering every hit on.

Wisely, Foakes wasn't lured into the glory shots that Rashid was pulling off without breaking a sweat. He used his feet to the spinners, but only for the purpose of working the ball around, inching ever-close to a century.

Rashid's approach served him well though as he scored a rapid 35 in a 54-run stand to bolster England, before getting a thick edge to slip off Perera when going for another booming inside-out drive over cover.

Jack Leach survived some nervy moments – including three edges which either dropped short or flew past the slips – in the last couple of overs of day's play. Perera, who got good grip and bite off the pitch throughout the day, had four scalps to show for how well he bowled. He will want to finish things up early on the second morning. Foakes will have other ideas.