COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, CMC – West Indies crumbled as Sri Lanka wrestled the advantage away with an outstanding bowling display on the second day of the second test at the P Sara Oval here yesterday.
The Caribbean side offered little fight and imploded under an attack led by fast medium bowler Dhammika Prasad to be all out for 163 just before tea.
Resuming from their overnight 17 for one, Windies were rattled by Prasad who destroyed the top order grabbing four wickets. He received strong support from the spinners. They plunged to 76 for four approaching the lunch interval and again struggled with spin as Dilruwan Perera baffled the lower order, snatching three wickets with his right arm off break. At stumps, Sri Lanka were 76 for the loss of two wickets, a lead of 113 runs.
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite, four not out overnight, soldiered on to hit a top score of 47, the only glimmer of hope in an innings where everyone else scored less than 20 except captain Jason Holder who contributed 21.
The Sri Lankans dominated the day with their pace and spin attack that mounted pressure on the visitors who lost overnight watchman Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels before lunch. Bishoo, with no feet movement, was Prasad’s second victim, an outside edge to the ‘keeper while Bravo and Samuels struggled.
Bravo was left scoreless for 11 balls and Samuels for 15 as Prasad kept things tight in an impressive and imposing bowling spell that included a sequence of 19 dot balls.
Bravo wilted under the pressure, offering an indecisive angled bat and chopping Prasad on for 2.
Samuels shared a 39-run stand for the fourth wicket with Brathwaite but never looked comfortable, surviving two leg-before appeals before he got off the mark and two more before he was enticed into a drive and got an outside edge to Angelo Mathews at slip.
Allrounder Milinda Siriwardana struck on either side of lunch to finish with two for 26.
A post lunch rally between Captain Jason Holder and Denesh Ramdin carved out a 32-run partnership for the 7th wicket that offered the Windies promise.
Holder scored 21 before departing as one of Perera’s victims while Ramdin was bowled by Rangana Herath for 14. The two exited in a space of 19 balls as the West Indies tail enders offered no resistance and were quickly removed. Sri Lanka suffered an early setback when they started their second innings after tea losing Dimuth Karunaratne to Jerome Taylor’s first ball.
Devendro Bishoo ran around from square leg to take a diving catch to his left after Taylor’s gentle inswinger was flicked into the air.
Jomel Warrican, who grabbed four wickets in the first innings, removed Kusal Mendis for 39 with a delivery pitched on a perfect length, allowing Ramdin to take an easy catch behind the wicket.
