Sri Lanka set the West Indies a daunting target on the penultimate day of the first Digicel Home series test at the National Stadium, Providence, yesterday.
At close of play, the Windies were 96-1 in pursuit of 437, after Sri Lanka had declared their second innings closed at 240-7 at 3:40pm. They still need another 341 runs from 90 overs, at the rate of 3.8 per over, for victory. Sarwan, 34, with three fours off 55 balls and Bravo, 46, with six fours and one six from 70 balls, have so far shared an unbroken stand of 74 off 112 deliveries.
Resuming yesterday at 269-9, the Windies, through some resistance from JeromeTaylor and compatriot Daren Powell, were able to avert the follow-on. They were, however, eventually dismissed for 280 with Powell being the last man out; Taylor was left not out on a well-played 27. With a substantial lead of 196, the tourists’ approach in their second turn at the crease left absolutely no doubt as to what their intentions were. Openers Malinda Warnapura and Michael Vandort, set about their task with great urgency, scoring at over four an over; a rate that was maintained until the expected declaration.
After six overs from Powell and Taylor, Sulieman Benn was introduced from the south or pavilion end and Bravo from the media centre end. But it was not until Chris Gayle had made a second change, taking over from Benn, that the breakthrough was made: the tall, left-handed Vandort was well taken down the leg side by Ramdin, as the opener attempted to turn a wide delivery. He had gone for 24.
At lunch, the total was 83-1,with Warnapura 44 and Kumar Sangakkara 14. The resumption saw the addition of 11 runs to the pre-lunch total, before the demise of the Sri Lankan vice-captain, caught by (sub) Fidel Edwards off Benn, who by then had been operating from the media centre end. Sangakkara’s dismissal let in his skipper, Mahela Jayawardene. Meanwhile, Warnapura was motoring along and reached his second fifty of the match with an edged drive to the third man boundary. His half century had come off 71 balls in104 minutes, with five fours. With the total at 133 however, he flashed at a wide delivery from Bravo and was well taken by Ramdin for an aggressive 62 with five fours off 90 deliveries.
Tillakeratne Dilshan joined Jayawardene, who, in attempting to pull Benn over mid-wicket, gave Shivnarine Chanderpaul a simple catch and Benn his second test wicket. Jayawardene had gone for 33. In strode the right-handed Thilan Samaraweera, who continued in the same vein of his skipper. But Dilshan, trying to join the fray, perished through the leg before route to Taylor; 171-4. Samaraweera (26)and Vaas (10),went to tea with the score at 186-5. Vaas did not last long after the resumption, going caught behind off Benn with the total at 192. Left-arm seamer Thushara and wicket-keeper Jayawardene also perished in the hunt for quick runs, leaving Samaraweera undefeated on 56 from 86 balls with three fours.
The Windies started their innings with a surprising and interesting move- one which must have generated much debate around the stadium and beyond: Bravo, instead of Gayle, opening the inning with Devon Smith. Some cricket pundits saw the move as an admission by Gayle of his own vulnerability to Chaminda Vaas, who has dismissed him more times in tests than any other bowler.
But if their skipper’s self-inflicted demotion had a negative effect on their morale, Bravo and Smith did not show it. Both carried the fight to the Sri Lankan bowlers, delighting the small crowd wih exquisite boundaries off Vaas and Thushara. And after Smith had fallen to a stunning catch by Thushara on the backward square leg boundary, from a miscued hook off Vaas, Sarwan entered and continued from where he had left off in the first innings. He and Bravo posted 50 in 37 minutes off 64 deliveries, with scintillating shots to all parts of the ground.
Today, the final day, from all indications, will be even more absorbing than the preceding four. With Sarwan and Bravo in such rampant form,and with the Sri Lankans savouring the possibility of their first test win against the West Indies at home, what else can it be?
