Kusal Perera has scored a maiden Test century but partner Kaushal Silva has fallen just short of a hundred with an injury-ravaged Sri Lanka racking up 4-317 against Zimbabwe on the first day of the first Test in Harare.
Appearing in his eight Test match, 26-year-old Perera hit 110 off 121 balls, having twice been dropped, with Sri Lanka dominating the home bowling at Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe's 100th Test on Saturday.
Silva was well set to be the first to a century but lost his wicket just after tea when he chopped to mid-on and was caught by Sean Williams off the bowling of Malcolm Waller for 94.
Silva and Dimuth Karunaratne opened with a 123-run stand for the first wicket before Karunaratne was caught off the spin bowling of captain Graeme Cremer for 56.
Cremer also took the wicket of Kusal Mendis with a leg break that was edged and caught behind after making 34 by wicketkeeper Peter Moor in the last session.
Upul Tharanga on 13 not out and Dhanbanjaya da Silva who was 10 not out at stumps will resume on Sunday in a bid to build up a large score Sri Lanka will be hoping precludes them from having to bat again.
Sri Lanka, who thrashed top-ranked Australia 3-0 in their last series at home in July and August, went into the game without injured captain Angelo Matthews and his deputy Dinesh Chandimal, plus several key bowlers.
This has left 38-year-old spinner Rangana Herath to skipper the side for the first time.
The match is the first of a two-Test series and marks Zimbabwe's 100th Test since they first played India in 1992.
They have won 11 Tests in that almost quarter of a century.
