By Tony (McWatt) and Reds (Perreira)
From its first session to the last the eventual outcome of the November 21-25 Sri Lanka-West Indies 1st Test played at the Galle International Stadium, was somewhat predictable, the hosts winning by the very comfortable margin of 187 runs. Sri Lanka’s victory was a continuation of its record of never having lost a Test Match to the West Indies on home soil. For the West Indies, the eventual margin of defeat was much more respectable than seemed likely when their second innings was tottering at 18-6 in pursuit of the 386 victory target they had been set by their Sri Lankan hosts.
From our perspective, the predictability of the West Indies’ eventual loss was evidenced almost halfway through the encounter. The debatable selections for the playing XI, the increasingly apparent ineptitudes of the two frontline spinners chosen to lead its bowling attack, and the wanting techniques of its top-order batsmen all contributed individually and collectively to the West Indies’ demise.