The Sri Lanka Test Team left the Island on the 25th of May with plenty of expectations, including that of a maiden Test series win in the West Indies.
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With the 1st of the three Tests set to begin on the 6th of June, we take a look back at Sri Lanka’s only Test win in the Caribbean Islands which came during their last visit, back in 2008 (Series 1-1), and a game where a new hero, in Malinda Warnapura, was born.
Having notched up a hundred and a fifty in a warm-up match at the Providence Stadium, Guyana, Malinda Warnapura returned to the venue, which became the 97th to host Test cricket.
“It was a really long flight to the West Indies and it was good to have a practice game to prepare. Most of the team members were not feeling a 100% and were jet lagged when we got out on the pitch for our first practice session.” said Warnapura on their long journey to the Caribbean.
The lack of bounce on a typical Guyanese featherbed allowed Warnapura to hit through the line without any inhibitions and Warnapura made sure he didn’t miss out on the opening day of the Test match.
This was at a time during which Sri Lanka was in search of a Test opener after the retirement of the legendary southpaw Sanath Jayasuriya. Warnapura who was into just his third Test, laid the ideal platform for Sri Lanka at the top of the order with a century on the opening day. Making it more remarkable was the fact that it was also his maiden Test century as his knock along with Mahela Jayawardena’s century helped Sri Lanka post 476/8 dec. in their first innings.
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Warnapura further added that “It really helped that the practice match was at the same ground as the first Test and had very similar conditions too. It was also a much better West Indian side to what you see at present. They had some star quality performers both with bat and ball back then”.
Warnapura, who is generally known to be a sedate batsman, was the aggressor in a century plus opening stand with Michael Vandort. With no swing, seam movement or bounce to aid the West Indian seamers, Warnapura could quite easily come onto the front foot and drive. He didn’t refrain from using the aerial route in the arc between cover and point either.
Warnapura eventually fell for a well composed 120, when he walked after nibbling one from Bravo down the leg side to the ‘keeper, but he had inflicted the necessary damage on the West Indians by then.
“I was involved in a century stand with Michael Vandort which I also think was a record in the West Indies at the time. It was a brilliant feeling for me to reach my maiden Test century in the West Indies and to look back at that win now makes it more special.”
A brilliant effort from the visiting bowlers restricted the West Indians to 280 all-out and just when you thought Warnapura was done, he seemed to be heading towards twin centuries in the match. He continued from where he left off in the first innings as he increased the tempo in order to make sure Sri Lanka had enough time to bowl out the West Indians. In the process though, he fell for 62 runs in quick time but had made sure West Indies had to chase a more than challenging total on a tricky surface.
A target of 437 always seemed a distance away for the West Indians with the pitch starting to crumble, but they reached 156/1 with make-shift opener Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan making half centuries. The Sri Lankans perhaps started to worry at this stage but their most successful quick bowler, Chaminda Vaas, delivered when it mattered the most, as he broke the back-bone of the West Indian batting line-up with a five wicket haul to lead Sri Lanka to their first ever Test win in the Caribbean Islands by a comprehensive 121 runs.
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“That spell from Chaminda Vaas on a dead wicket was really inspirational to watch. He might not hit the headlines as often as other Sri Lankan greats, but I will confidently tell you that he has been instrumental in most Sri Lankan Test wins overseas, just like in this Test match”
The game would always be remembered for Warnapura’s heroics with the bat and is Sri Lanka’s only Test match victory in the West Indies to-date, but Chaminda Vaas was named Man of the Match for his eight wickets in the match on a tough wicket for the pace bowlers.
ThePapare.com is set to bring you previews, reviews and much more from Sri Lanka’s tour of West Indies, which will kick off on the 6th of June at Port of Spain.
