Defiant Ravindra (91*) stands in the way of Sri Lankan win

Tom Blundell bowled by Prabath Jayasuriya attempting to reverse sweep

Ajaz Patel holds up the ball after his 6/90

Rachin Ravindra kept New Zealand’s hopes alive with a fighting innings of 91*

Angelo Mathews helped steady the Sri Lanka second innings with a half-century

• Sri Lanka need two wickets, New Zealand 68 runs to go 1-up in series

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Spinners, Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis shared six wickets as they ran amok on a wearing and helpful pitch to edge Sri Lanka close to victory in the first cricket Test against New Zealand at the Galle International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Sri Lanka were given the option of taking the extra 30 minutes in bright sunshine to finish the match off in four days, but skipper Dhananjaya de Silva opted to come back today and complete the final rites.

Standing in the way of a Sri Lankan win and a sensational New Zealand victory is Rachin Ravindra, the Wellington-born cricketer of Indian origin who is unbeaten on a 91 scored off 158 balls (9 fours, 1 six). Batting with him is Ajaz Patel on 0* (15 balls). Ravindra will need to do something spectacular if he is to take his team home with the two tailenders.  

Needing 275 to win on a wearing pitch was a tough ask, and Ravindra stood amongst the ruins and watched his team mates fall one by one at the other end. He came to the wicket at the dismissal of Kane Williamson who was simply done in by a Jayasuriya special and stumped for 30. New Zealand also lost Tom Latham (28) and Daryl Mitchell (8) in the afternoon session that saw 101 runs added to the lunch score of 13-1.     

Tom Blundell kept New Zealand hopes alive helping Ravindra in a fifth wicket stand of 56, but at 30 he attempted to reverse sweep Jayasuriya off the rough and had his stumps disturbed. Glenn Phillips who struck a belligerent 49* off 48 balls in the first innings found the spin too hot to handle, so did Mitchell Santner and Tim Southee – all of them being dismissed for single digits in the final session of play.

Jayasuriya was the pick of the bowlers with 3 scalps while Ramesh Mendis also took 3 as well, but he was guilty of bowling too many loose deliveries that somewhat eased the pressure off the batsmen.

Sri Lanka however are certainly the favourites needing just two more wickets to go 1-0 up in the two-match series.

The morning when the match resumed after yesterday’s rest day (due to the Presidential election) belonged to New Zealand as they captured the remaining six Sri Lankan wickets for 72 runs with left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel’s exceptional bowling skills skittling them out for 309.

De Silva fell to an ambitious drive for 40, Kusal Mendis batted positively before dragging one back on to his stumps at 23 and Angelo Mathews plodded onto an obdurate half-century (50 off 111 balls, 5 fours) before being snapped up at slip. As in the first innings, the Lankan tail failed to wag and the innings was soon wrapped up following the dismissal of Mathews, the last four wickets contributing just 17 runs.

Patel led New Zealand off the field with richly deserved figures of 6/90, his 5th Test five-wicket haul.