West Indies in a spin as Sri Lanka take control of Galle Test

Sri Lanka spinner Lasith Embuldeniya celebrating his 50th Test wicket with the dismissal of Jermaine Blackwood

• Hope replaces Solozano as concussion substitute

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva is out hit wicket to a ball from Shannon Gabriel for 61

West Indies spinner Roston Chase celebrates taking five wickets in an innings for the fourth time in his career

Sri Lanka’s three-pronged spin attack of Ramesh Mendis, Praveen Jayawickrama and Lasith Embuldeniya had the West Indies batsmen in a spin on the second day of the first cricket Test for the Sobers-Tissera Trophy played at the Galle International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

West Indies had every reason to be ecstatic when they wrapped up the Sri Lankan innings for 386 after the home team had resumed from their daunting overnight score of 267/3, capturing the remaining seven wickets for the addition of 119 runs with off-spinner Roston Chase and left-arm spinner Jommel Warrican taking eight wickets between them.

However, that joy was short-lived when it was the West Indies’ turn to bat. They began well with Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and makeshift opener Jermaine Blackwood putting together a reasonable opening partnership of 45 for the first wicket.

Blackwood, who has never opened in a first-class match, was entrusted into the new role in the absence of Jeremy Solozano, who was ruled out of the Test after being hit on the head while fielding.

But no sooner was the partnership broken by Embuldeniya taking his 50th Test wicket by trapping Blackwood lbw for 20, the innings started to crumble. In a matter of 20 overs, West Indies lost six wickets for 68 as off-spinner Mendis (3/23), and left-arm spinners Praveen Jayawickrama (2/25) and Embuldeniya (1/39) ripped through the middle-order.

By the end of the second day, West Indies were wobbling at 113/6, trailing Sri Lanka by 273 runs and still 74 runs away from saving the follow-on on a pitch that had turn and bounce for the spinners. West Indies still have some batsmen left who can pull them out of trouble. At the wickets are Kyle Mayers and Jason Holder, each of whom have made double hundreds in Tests, plus Joshua Da Silva and Rakheem Cornwall, who are more than handy with the bat, so there is some batting depth in the West Indies although the score line looks a disappointing one at the end of day two.

The key wicket for Sri Lanka was that of Brathwaite, who has made nine Test hundreds. It was Mendis who got that prize wicket when Brathwaite (41) tickled the ball to leg and was snapped up sharply by Pathum Nissanka at leg slip. Mendis was on a hat-trick, when off his next over he sent back Shai Hope for 10 with Oshada Fernando holding onto a sharp catch at forward short leg. Those two wickets taken off successive overs broke the West Indies middle-order batting.

Hope was drafted into the team as a concussion substitute for Solozano with the approval of ICC Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle.

A West Indies media release stated that following a 24-hour observation, Solozano returned to the West Indies team hotel yesterday afternoon. It has been confirmed that he has suffered a concussion and will immediately begin undergoing concussion protocol.

West Indies enjoyed their best session of the match in the morning when they restricted Sri Lanka to only 73 runs whilst capturing three wickets, including that of the two overnight batsmen – Dhananjaya de Silva for 61 and Dimuth Karunaratne for 147.

De Silva, who had looked in good nick, was out in a strange manner, attempting to keep the ball out of his wicket with his bat but only succeeded in knocking over his leg stump. He had added five runs to his overnight score of 56 and his dismissal ended a 111-run stand with his captain.

Karunaratne’s 300-ball innings was terminated by a smart bit of work behind the wickets by Joshua Da Silva, who whipped the bails off when the batsman was beaten by the turn offered by Chase. The Lankan captain was given out by the third umpire after reviewing every angle that was available to him. He struck 15 fours.

Sri Lanka lost a third wicket in the morning when Warrican beat Ramesh Mendis’ forward defence and had him edging a catch behind the wicket for 13.

West Indies continued their success into the afternoon with their spinners Warrican and Chase making further inroads into the Lankan batting line-up. The most important of the dismissals was the wicket of Dinesh Chandimal for 45. The former captain perished playing the reverse sweep, more commonly seen in T20 cricket, offered Cornwall a catch at slip to give Chase his fourth wicket of the innings. Chase didn’t have to wait too long for his fourth five-for in his career when Embuldeniya, deciding to chance his arm, was held at extra cover.