Having registered a thumping win in the first Test, Sri Lanka had a few jittery moments in the second but ended up winning the Test as emphatically as the first. West Indies garnered first innings lead to create some interest, but Dhananjaya de Silva’s sensational hundred curbed their every remaining hope.
Sri Lanka batted first in this Test as well, and they had a terrific start to the game, with Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne getting a solid opening partnership. Nissanka completed his half-century and played the aggressor, as the duo added 106 runs for the first wicket. But once their partnership ended with Karunraratne walking back, Sri Lanka started collapsing.
Oshada Fernando was the next victim of the Windies brilliance, who later sent back Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva in the same over. Wickets fell in a canter Veerasammy Permaul and Joel Warrican, ripping through their batting lineup.
They lost their 10 wickets for 98 runs after a terrific opening stand and got bowled out for 204 runs. Permaul got a five-fer whilst Warrican returned with four wickets. West Indies had a similar innings themselves, with their top three scoring bulk of the runs. Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood added 62 runs for the opening wicket, where Blackwood alone mustered 44 runs.
Brathwaite picked up momentum once he was joined by Nkrumah Bonner, and the duo added 75 runs together, with the former completing his half-century.
At 137/1, it seemed like the Windies will sail towards a lead, but Ramesh Mendis had other ideas. He single-handedly removed the entire middle order and dismissed everyone batting from number three to number seven. Having lost seven batters at 197, the hosts perhaps sniffed at minimizing the trail or maybe even getting a lead, but Kyle Mayers and Permaul added some crucial runs in the final stages.
Mayers remained unbeaten on 36, as Windies scored 253 runs with a notable lead of 49 runs. Ramesh Mendis returned with six scalps to his credit, and the visitors walked back with a hint of confidence.
That confidence stayed a little longer when they got early wickets in Sri Lanka’s second innings. They had lost three wickets before getting a sizeable lead, and it seemed like the visiting side can get a result from this fixture. This is when de Silva walked in, and changed the course of the fixture.
Pathum Nissanka once again chipped in with a fruitful contribution, getting yet another half-century. He got 66 runs in the second innings, adding 78 runs alongside Silva. After Nissanka’s dismissal, Silva got to his half-century, and added another good stand alongside Ramesh Mendis.
At 221/8, it didn’t seem like a lot of life was left in this fixture, but Silva and Lasith Embuldeniya murdered the last living aspiration of the Caribbean contingent. They added 124 runs for the ninth wicket, with Silva completing his 100, and soon a 150, as Sri Lanka declared their innings after the fall of Embuldeniya’s wicket at 345/9.
Silva scored 155 runs in 262 balls, with 11 boundaries and two sixes. Permaul added another three in the innings to make it eight wickets in the match.
After Brathwaite was dismissed early chasing 297 runs, Blackwood and Bonner held the fort a little while, adding 50 runs for the second wicket. Once this partnership was broken, Sri Lankan spinners broke loose in a canter and again dismantled the Caribbean middle-order.
Embuldeniya and Mendis picked up five wickets each for the hosts, as West Indies got bowled out for 132 runs with no noteworthy contribution from their batters.
Ramesh Mendis, who picked up 11 wickets in the game (and 18 in the series), was named player of the series, whilst Dhananjaya de Silva’s outstanding hundred under pressure made him player of the match.
Brief Scores
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 204 all out in 61.3 overs (Nissanka 73; Permaul 5/35, Warrican 4/50)
West Indies 1st innings: 253 all out in 104.2 overs (Brathwaite 72; Mendis 6/70)
Sri Lanka 2nd innings: 345/9 declared in 121.4 overs (de Silva 155*, Nissanka 66; Permaul 3/100)
West Indies 2nd innings: 132 all out in 56.1 overs (Embuldeniya 5/35, Mendis 5/66)
