Half-centuries from skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and No.3 Oshada Fernando helped Sri Lanka bat through unscathed on Day 5 of the second and final Test against the West Indies in Antigua.
The defiant batting display allowed the visitors to keep the hosts at bay and come out of the series with an impressive 0-0 scoreline in overseas conditions.
The result also kept Sri Lanka ahead of West Indies in the ICC Test rankings, with the Asian giants placed No.7 on the list and the Calypso Kings staying No.8.
As it happened, in-form opening batsman Lahiru Thirmanne (39) and Karunaratne stitched together a great stand for the first wicket of 101 runs on the final day where Sri Lanka were chasing an impregnable 377-run target. Thirimanne, the left-hand batsman, who had made two fighting half-centuries in the first Test and another in the first-innings of this one, soaked up 114 balls for his knock and looked solid for more when he was dismissed.
Though Thirimanne got out, skipper Karunaratne never lost his guard. He maintained his calm and composure throughout the innings of 75 runs that last 176 balls, a massive chunk of the deliveries bowled on Day 5 of the second Test.
Besides Karunaratne leading Sri Lanka from the front, the visitors also had an able contributor in No.3 Fernando, who too batted resolutely. Fernando made 66 off 119 deliveries at the crease and remained unbeaten till the match was called off. Another quiet but crucial contributor was Dinesh Chandimal, as he made just ten* runs but eat out 66 balls in the process.
West Indies will be disappointed not to be able to breach the Sri Lankan defence and resilience. The hosts were handicapped a touch as they missed pacer Shannon Gabriel (0/20) for the significant part of the day due to a hamstring issue. But they needed more from the likes of Kemar Roach (0/33), Jason Holder (0/24), Rahkeem Cornwall (0/53) and Alzarri Joseph (1/33), who couldn’t run through the visiting batting order on a surface playing low and slow for the quicks but not really offering much to the spinners either.
Earlier in the game, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite’s (126) magnificent hundred and healthy contributions from Cornwall (73) as well as Kyle Mayers (49) took their team past the 350-mark as the hosts eventually finished with 354 all out after being in to bat upon losing the toss. The ton was Brathwaite’s ninth in Test cricket and first since becoming the full-time West Indies captain in the format.
Pacers Suranga Lakmal (4/94) and Dushmantha Chameera (3/69) were the stand-out bowlers for Sri Lanka in the first innings, where Vishwa Fernando (1/71), Lasith Embuldeniya (1/88) and Dhananjaya de Silva (1/26) also chipped in with a wicket apiece.
In response, Sri Lanka got bowled out for just 258 and conceded a significant lead of 96 runs. The visitors would’ve felt disheartened as their batters, Thirimanne (55), Chandimal (44), De Silva (39), Pathum Nissanka (51) got starts but none carried on to play a substantial knock.
Roach (3/58), Gabriel (1/37), Joseph (2/64) and Holder (2/39) had a healthy share of the Sri Lankan wickets in the first half.
Having rejuvenated himself with a fantastic hundred, West Indies skipper Brathwaite carried on his excellent work in the second half with the bat as he made 85 off 196 balls. After that, half-centuries from Mayers (55) and Holder (71*) helped the men from the Caribbean reach 280/4 (declared) and set-up a colossal target.
Lakmal (2/62) and Chameera (2/74) had picked up the four wickets that fell in the West Indies second innings.
For his batting exploits across the two innings, Brathwaite was awarded the ‘Player of the Match’, while Lakmal received ‘Player of the Series’ award for finishing as the top-wicket taker with 11 scalps at an average of 21.45.
Brief Scores:
West Indies 354 & 280/4 dec (Brathwaite 85, Holder 71, Mayers 55; Lakmal 2-62) drew with Sri Lanka 258 (Nissanka 51; Roach 3-58) & 193/2 (Dimuth Karunaratne 75, Lahiru Thirimanne 39, Oshada Fernando 66; Alzarri Joseph 1/33).
