Ireland’s Andrew Balbirnie celebrates after scoring a half-century (50 runs) during the first day of the second and final cricket Test match between Sri Lanka and Ireland at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle on 24 April 2023 - AFP 

Ireland’s Lorcan Tucker celebrates after scoring a half-century (50 runs) during the first day of the second and final cricket Test match between Sri Lanka and Ireland at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle on 24 April 2023 -AFP

Ireland’s Paul Stirling plays a shot during the first day of the second and final cricket Test match between Sri Lanka and Ireland at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle on 24 April 2023 - AFP

• Captain Andy Balbirnie leads from the front with tenacious knock

After a relatively easy win in the first Test that finished inside three days, Sri Lanka ran up against some strong Irish batting grit. As they were kept on the field the entire first day under hot and humid conditions at the Galle International Cricket Stadium, Ireland won the toss and took first lease of a docile batting surface where the ball hardly went past the outside edge or beat the bat, finishing on an impressive 319-4, 20 runs short of their highest ever total in Test cricket.

After being humiliated in the first Test inside three days it was a remarkable turnout around by the Irish batsmen who displayed sheer doggedness, mental strength and resolve to have Sri Lanka searching for answers. The Irish showed they had character and belief after the battering they got in the first Test.

As for the hosts it was a hard slog on the field with the spinners especially Ramesh Mendis being inconsistent in their lines and lengths, that saw the Irish batsmen capitalising on these lapses and helping themselves to some easy pickings.

Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie was the backbone of the innings grafting his way to a Test career best 95 off 163 balls (14 fours) – missing out on a well-deserved maiden Test hundred when he tried to paddle sweep Mendis and gave a catch off the back of his bat to slip.

Balbirnie came out to bat with a positive frame of mind. From the onset he showed good positive intent pouncing on the loose deliveries to race to his third Test fifty off just 43 balls inclusive of 10 fours. However, with the arrival of Paul Sterling, Balbirnie slowed down with his next 45 runs coming off 120 balls for the addition of a further four fours.

Sterling in fact added a different dimension to the Ireland batting. He combined attack with defence and changed gears superbly to deal with pace and spin alike to score his maiden Test fifty off 64 balls with four fours and three sixes. The pair battled hard in very challenging hot and humid conditions to put together Ireland’s highest partnership in Test cricket – 115 off 223 balls. They displayed sheer defiance in the afternoon session when Ireland added 93 runs off 30 overs without losing a wicket.

Just as when Sri Lanka were looking hopelessly for a breakthrough, it came to them in the most unlikely manner in the second over after tea, when Stirling who had arrived in Sri Lanka only last week suffered from a severe cramp on his left leg and was in a lot of distress. He had to be helped off the field with his score on 74 scored off 133 balls, an innings that featured six fours and three sixes mainly through cuts, pulls and drives. Stirling who went after the bowling with his natural aggressive style is expected to resume his innings today.

Ireland lost the wicket of Balbirnie at 232, but Sri Lanka found no respite as Lorcan Tucker (who has a Test century under his belt), and Curtis Campher denied the hosts of any further success adding 87 runs for the fifth wicket in an unfinished partnership for the fifth wicket. Tucker built on the hard work done by Balbirnie and Stirling by reaching his half-century off 71 balls to remain unbeaten on 78 with the aid of 10 fours and, with an eye on his second Test hundred. Campher, offering him good support, was unbeaten on 27 off 64 balls (2 fours, 1 six).

Sri Lanka managed to prise out three Ireland wickets in the first session when 106 runs were scored but came up against a solid brick wall when the experienced Stirling joined his Captain Balbirnie and figured in a record partnership. But just when things were really looking up Ireland lost Stirling.

Sri Lanka went into the Test unchanged, while Ireland rang three changes with Paul Stirling, Graham Hume making his first-class and Test match debut and Matthew Humphreys replacing Murray Commins, Mark Adair and George Dockrell. Sri Lanka leads the two-match series 1-0.

We didn’t plan out strategies according to how the wicket behaved: Wijetunge