Part-time off-spinner Kraigg Brathwaite took a career-best six-wicket haul in an inspired bowling performance as West Indies bundled out Sri Lanka for 206 in their second innings, setting themselves a victory target of 244 in the second Sobers-Tissera Test match at P. Sara Oval grounds on Saturday.
In chase of 244, the visitors were 20 for 1 with Brathwaite falling LBW to Dhammika Prasad at the stroke of rain. The entire third session on day three was washed away due to heavy showers in Colombo.
Windies will need to bat positively on day four if they are to draw level in this two-match series. The surface is heavily deteriorated and it is not an easy task to bat with the Lankan spinners posing the biggest threat to the Windies.
The 22-year-old, who had taken just one wicket in his previous 23 tests, finished with figures of 6 for 29 and gave West Indies a great chance of tying the two-test series.
The hosts, who won the opening test in Galle by an innings and six runs, were all out an hour after the lunch break with Brathwaite taking the last six wickets to fall in Sri Lanka’s second innings.
Resuming from their overnight score of 76 for 2, Sri Lanka were pegged back early when they lost two wickets in three deliveries, with both overnight batsmen getting out.
Opener Kaushal Silva (32) was the first to fall when he edged debutant spinner Jomel Warrican to slip, and two balls later fast-bowler Jerome Taylor forced an inside edge from Dinesh Chandimal (12) for wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin to complete a smart catch.
Captain Angelo Mathews (46) and Milinda Siriwardana (42), Sri Lanka’s top-scorer from the first innings, added 67 for the 5th wicket to steady the innings and took the team’s lead closer to the 200-run mark.
Siriwardana was very positive in his approach. He used his feet effectively and played the sweep regularly.
With Marlon Samuels’ bowling action under a cloud after he was reported for the third time in his career, West Indies captain Jason Holder called on Brathwaite to break the stand.
The bowler responded vividly, dismissing Siriwardana in his second over before enjoying more success with the first delivery of his next over when Kusal Perera (6) got an under edge for Ramdin to hold on to another good catch. The Lankans went to lunch break with 202 runs ahead.
Rangana Herath made a useful contribution of 18, using both the conventional and reverse sweep against the spinners, before he became Brathwaite’s third victim. Brathwaite also claimed the wicket of Dilruwan Perera, then dismissed Mathews and number 11 batsman Nuwan Pradeep in successive deliveries to close out Sri Lanka’s innings.
Sri Lanka – 200 all out in 66 overs: Milinda Siriwardana 68, Rangana Herath 26*, Dinesh Chandimal 25, Jomel Warrican 4/67, Jerome Taylor 2/50, Jason Holder 2/22.
West Indies – 163 all out in 64.2 overs: Kraigg Brathwaite 47, Dhammika Prasad 4/34, Dilruwan Perera 3/28, Milinda Siriwardana 2/26.
Sri Lanka (2nd inn) – 206 all out in 75.3 overs: Angelo Mathews 46, Milinda Siriwardana 42, Kusal Mendis 39, Kaushal Silva 32, Kraigg Brathwaite 6/29, Jomel Warrican 2/62, Jerome Taylor 2/26.
West Indies (2nd inn) – 20/1 in 9 overs: Shai Hope 17*.
