GALLE, Sri Lanka, CMC – West Indies lost both their openers cheaply in the final hour to suffer a major setback, after big centuries by Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal had given Sri Lanka command of the opening Test here yesterday.
Facing a massive challenge after Sri Lanka piled up a massive 484 in their first innings, West Indies were further undermined by the quick departures of Kraigg Brathwaite (19) and Shai Hope (23) to the left-arm spin of Ragana Herath, to close the second day at the Galle International Stadium tentatively placed on 66 for two.
The pair added 33 for the first wicket before Brathwaite missed an arm ball, was struck on the back leg and adjudged lbw, after just over 36 minutes at the crease. He had earlier had a similar decision overturned on review, on 14.
Hope, in only his fourth Test, played authoritatively for just over an hour and struck three fours but perished when Herath got one to drift past his forward defensive prod, and hit off-stump, about 20 minutes before the close.
Rocking on 49 for two, the Windies were steadied by left-hander Darren Bravo, unbeaten on 15 and Marlon Samuels, on seven not out, who safely navigated their way to the close.
Heading into a pivotal last day, West Indies are still adrift by 418 runs with eight wickets intact.
Earlier, big centuries from Karunaratne (181) and Chandimal (151) laid the foundation for Sri Lanka’s dominance after the hosts resumed the day on 250 for two.
The pair extended their overnight third wicket stand of 149 to 238 before being separated, as Sri Lanka controlled the morning session to add 94 runs for the loss of just one wicket.
The left-handed Karunaratne, unbeaten on 135 overnight, posted a career-best knock, facing 354 balls in a shade over eight hours at the crease, and striking 16 fours and a six.
Chandimal meanwhile, who was 72 not out at the start, completed his fifth Test century with an innings which included 16 fours and two sixes, and lasted 298 balls and 6-1/2 hours.
Captain Angelo Mathews chipped in with a breezy 48 off 65 deliveries, adding a further 86 for the fourth wicket with Chandimal.
Once Karunaratne fell before lunch, however, Sri Lanka declined to lose their last eight wickets for 145 runs.
Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo finished with four for 143 from a marathon 40 overs while fast bowler Jerome Taylor picked up two for 65.
Karunaratne extended his domination into day two, collecting boundaries on either side of the wicket off Taylor in the day’s fifth over to pass 150 for the second time in Tests.
The left-hander was largely untroubled and looked to be marching towards a maiden double hundred when he tugged an innocuous short delivery from part-time off-spinner Samuels back to the bowler, to fall three overs before lunch.
Chandimal, meanwhile, played positively to reach three figures, about 40 minutes before the interval.
He moved into the 80s with a boundary in separate overs off seamer Kemar Roach but was then dropped for the second time in his innings on 82 when Jermaine Blackwood failed to hold on to a chance at point off speedster Shannon Gabriel, in the first over of the bowler’s first spell of the morning.
Unfazed by the let-off, Chandimal whipped Bishoo to the mid-wicket boundary before punching Gabriel over mid-off for another four, to record his second straight century in Galle.
Unbeaten on 113 at lunch with Sri Lanka on 344 for three, Chandimal reached 150 in the first over after the drinks break when he cut Taylor behind square for four.
Scoreboard
SRI LANKA 1st innings
(overnight 250 for two)
D Karunaratne c and b Samuels 186
K Silva c wkp Ramdin b Roach 17
L Thirimanne c sub (R Chandrika) b Bishoo 16
D Chandimal c Blackwood b Taylor 151
*A Mathews c & b Holder 48
M Siriwardana c wkp Ramdin b Taylor 1
+K Perera b Gabriel 23
D Prasad c Holder b Bishoo 13
R Herath lbw b Bishoo 0
T Kaushal not out 9
N Pradeep c Gabriel b Bishoo 0
Extras (b4, lb5, w5, nb6) 20
TOTAL (all out, 152.3 overs) 484
Fall of wickets: 1-56 (Silva), 2-101 (Thirimanne), 3-339 (Karunaratne), 4-425 (Chandimal), 5-427 (Siriwardana), 6-448 (Mathews), 7-467 (Prasad), 8-467 (Herath), 9-475 (Perera), 10-484 (Pradeep)
Bowling: Taylor 20-4-65-4, Roach 19-3-57-2, Holder 21-4-36-1, Gabriel 20-2-76-1, Samuels 27-4-84-1, Bishoo 40.3-2-143-4, Brathwaite 5-0-14-0.
WEST INDIES 1st Innings
K Brathwaite lbw b Herath 19
S Hope b Herath 23
DM Bravo not out 15
M Samuels not out 7
Extras (nb2) 2
TOTAL (2 wkts, 21 overs) 66
To bat: J Blackwood, D Ramdin, *J Holder, D Bishoo, J Taylor, K Roach, S Gabriel
Fall of wickets: 1-33 (Brathwaite), 2-49 (Hope).
Bowling: Prasad 4-3-4-0, Pradeep 5-0-29-0, Herath 8-2-14-2, Kaushal 4-1-91-0.
Position: West Indies trail by 418 runs with eight wickets intact.
Toss: Sri Lanka.
UMPIRES: Marais Erasmus, Richard Illingworth; TV – Simon Fry.