Preview: Sri Lankan cricket’s woes of the past 12 months could be extended for at least another fortnight unless the visitors can rise to the challenge of a buoyant West Indies team in the two-Test series starting on Sunday at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.
Swept 3-0 in the One-Day International contest after being edged 2-1 in the tour-opening T20 International duel, Dimuth Karunaratne’s team have offered little by way of confidence-building performances in the lead-up to the encounters with a Caribbean squad brimming with confidence after their unexpected successes in a similar two-match series in Bangladesh last month.
Kemar Roach and Jason Holder combined for eight wickets between them as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 169 on the opening day of the first Test in Antigua. Lahiru Thirimanne top-scored for the visitors with a hard-fought 70 off 180 balls, but only three other Sri Lankan batsmen would get to double digits, as they crumbled against a disciplined bowling performance from the hosts.
While it was Roach that was arguably the more impressive of the two, with his impeccable lines and lengths, it was Holder that would reap the benefits of the pressure created, picking up his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests. Roach, meanwhile would finish with figures of 3 for 47. John Campbell and Kraigg Brathwaite saw off an hour without any hassles, with West Indies ending on 13 without loss.
Having replaced Jason Holder as full-time Test captain on the strength of his handling of the underdog West Indies for the Tests in Chattogram and Dhaka, Kraigg Brathwaite leads a home team strengthened by the return of the former skipper and experienced batsman Darren Bravo.
Both were among a dozen first-choice players who opted out of the Bangladesh captain due to Covid 19 concerns. In their absence, debutants Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner took their opportunities with both hands and are predictably retained for this first series of an extended season of international cricket in the West Indies.
West Indies vs Sri Lanka, WI vs SL Test Series Squads
West Indies Squad
Roston Chase (captain), Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Shannon Gabriel, Jahmar Hamilton, Keon Harding, Kavem Hodge, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Shayne Moseley, Veerasammy Permaul, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach.
Sri Lanka Squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Dasun Shanaka, Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Roshen Silva, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ramesh Mendis, Vishwa Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Asitha Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera and Lasith Embuldeniya.
SRI LANKA 1ST INNINGS
| BATSMEN | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR | |||
| Dimuth Karunaratne (c) | c Campbell b Cornwall | 12 | 43 | 52 | 1 | 0 | 27.91 | ||
| Lahiru Thirimanne | b Holder | 70 | 180 | 293 | 4 | 0 | 38.89 | ||
| Oshada Fernando | run out (Brathwaite) | 4 | 11 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 36.36 | ||
| Dinesh Chandimal | c †Da Silva b Holder | 4 | 25 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 16.00 | ||
| Dhananjaya de Silva | b Roach | 13 | 26 | 45 | 2 | 0 | 50.00 | ||
| Pathum Nissanka | c Holder b Roach | 9 | 12 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 75.00 | ||
| Niroshan Dickwella † | c Cornwall b Holder | 32 | 76 | 86 | 2 | 0 | 42.11 | ||
| Suranga Lakmal | c Brathwaite b Holder | 3 | 13 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 23.08 | ||
| Dushmantha Chameera | b Roach | 2 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 28.57 | ||
| Lasith Embuldeniya | lbw b Holder | 3 | 15 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 20.00 | ||
| Vishwa Fernando | not out | 1 | 11 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 9.09 | ||
| Extras | (b 4, lb 6, nb 1, w 5) | 16 | |||||||
| TOTAL | (69.4 Ov, RR: 2.42) | 169 | |||||||
| Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Dimuth Karunaratne, 10.4 ov), 2-29 (Oshada Fernando, 15.1 ov), 3-54 (Dinesh Chandimal, 26.1 ov), 4-76 (Dhananjaya de Silva, 34.4 ov), 5-92 (Pathum Nissanka, 38.3 ov), 6-150 (Niroshan Dickwella, 59.6 ov), 7-160 (Lahiru Thirimanne, 63.6 ov), 8-163 (Suranga Lakmal, 65.1 ov), 9-164 (Dushmantha Chameera, 66.1 ov), 10-169 (Lasith Embuldeniya, 69.4 ov) | |||||||||
| BOWLING | O | M | R | W | ECON | WD | NB |
| Kemar Roach | 16 | 2 | 47 | 3 | 2.94 | 0 | 1 |
| Shannon Gabriel | 9 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 2.44 | 3 | 0 |
| Rahkeem Cornwall | 14 | 6 | 25 | 1 | 1.79 | 0 | 0 |
| Alzarri Joseph | 11 | 2 | 32 | 0 | 2.91 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason Holder | 17.4 | 6 | 27 | 5 | 1.53 | 2 | 0 |
| Kyle Mayers | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3.00 | 0 | 0 |
WEST INDIES 1ST INNINGS
| BATSMEN | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |||
| Kraigg Brathwaite (c) | not out | 3 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 8.33 | ||
| John Campbell | not out | 7 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 15.91 | ||
| Extras | (lb 1, nb 2) | 3 | ||||||
| TOTAL | (13 Ov, RR: 1.00) | 13 | ||||||
| Yet to bat: Nkrumah Bonner, Kyle Mayers, Jermaine Blackwood, Joshua Da Silva †, Jason Holder, Rahkeem Cornwall, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel | ||||||||
| BOWLING | O | M | R | W | ECON | WD | NB |
| Suranga Lakmal | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1.17 | 0 | 2 |
| Vishwa Fernando | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0.50 | 0 | 0 |
| Dushmantha Chameera | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Lasith Embuldeniya | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.00 | 0 | 0 |
MATCH DETAILS
| Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua | |
| Toss | West Indies, elected to field first |
| Series | Sri Lanka tour of West IndiesICC World Test Championship |
| Season | 2020/21 |
| Match number | Test no. 2416 |
| Hours of play (local time) | 10.00 start, Lunch 12.00-12.40, Tea 14.40-15.00, Close 17.00 |
| Match days | 21,22,23,24,25 March 2021 – day match (5-day match) |
CLOSE OF PLAY
day 1 -West Indies 1st innings 13 (Kraigg Brathwaite 3*, John Campbell 7*, 13 ov)
MATCH NOTES
Day 1
- Over 9.3: Review by West Indies (Bowling), Umpire – GO Brathwaite, Batsman – FDM Karunaratne (Struck down)
- Drinks: Sri Lanka – 26/1 in 13.0 overs (HDRL Thirimanne 10, BOP Fernando 1)
- Sri Lanka: 50 runs in 23.3 overs (141 balls), Extras 4
- Lunch: Sri Lanka – 54/3 in 26.1 overs (HDRL Thirimanne 30)
- Over 26.1: Review by Sri Lanka (Batting), Umpire – JS Wilson, Batsman – LD Chandimal (Struck down)
- Drinks: Sri Lanka – 91/4 in 38.0 overs (HDRL Thirimanne 41, P Nissanka 9)
- Sri Lanka: 100 runs in 40.3 overs (243 balls), Extras 8
- HDRL Thirimanne: 50 off 129 balls (3 x 4)
- Tea: Sri Lanka – 129/5 in 52.0 overs (HDRL Thirimanne 56, N Dickwella 21)
- 6th Wicket: 50 runs in 106 balls (HDRL Thirimanne 19, N Dickwella 27, Ex 5)
- Sri Lanka: 150 runs in 58.6 overs (354 balls), Extras 13
- Over 67.4: Review by Sri Lanka (Batting), Umpire – GO Brathwaite, Batsman – L Embuldeniya (Upheld)
- Over 69.4: Review by Sri Lanka (Batting), Umpire – GO Brathwaite, Batsman – L Embuldeniya (Struck down – Umpires Call)
- End Of Day: West Indies – 13/0 in 13.0 overs (KC Brathwaite 3, JD Campbell 7)
