Gabriel, Roach give West Indies honors on rain-hit day

Sri Lanka scored 99 for 5 (Dickwella 13*, Roshen 3*, Roach 2-13, Gabriel 2-42) trailing West Indies 204 (Holder 74, Dowrich 71, Kumara 4-58, Rajitha 3-68) by 105 runs at the 2nd day of 3rd Test.

West Indies didn’t bat as well as they would’ve liked, but entertained the possibility of a first-innings lead at the end of a truncated second day in Bridgetown. Only 59 overs were possible in all, 23 of which allowed West Indies to move from their overnight 132 for 5 to 204 all out. Jason Holder made bulk of those runs en route to 74, the highest of the innings. Then Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel and Holder struck to dent Sri Lanka’s push to parity under lights as they were reeling at 99 for 5 at stumps, still behind by 105.

Sri Lanka’s inexperienced top order, minus their suspended captain Dinesh Chandimal, failed to apply themselves for long periods, the dismissal of No. 4 Kusal Mendis after doing all the hard work exemplifying their effort. Mendis, averaging 59.50 in the series before the innings, blocked deliveries religiously for 58 deliveries, until he ran out of patience in trying an uncharacteristic across-the-line slog to Gabriel’s first ball of a new spell, only to see his off stump flattened. This broke a 59-run stand with comeback man Danushka Gunathilaka, after Sri Lanka briefly recovered post Roach’s double-strike.

Opener Kusal Perera fell for a nine-ball duck, Roach using his angle from around the wicket induce the underedge through to the keeper. Mahela Udawatte, playing only his second Test upon his international return after a long layoff, fell to Roach’s express pace four overs later. He was trapped lbw after failing to commit himself fully forward to a pitched up delivery that nipped back in. This left Sri Lanka at 16 for 2.

Mendis and Gunathilaka briefly stemmed the rut, along the way enjoying a slice of luck too when Gunathilaka chipped Miguel Cummins to cover, only to hear the third umpire rule against the bowler because he had overstepped. The error, however, didn’t cost West Indies much as Gunathilaka fell two overs into the final session - out on review to an lbw off Holder.

There was more success in store for West Indies when Gabriel had a decision reversed, as Dhananjaya de Silva was out for 8. The nip of the Kensington Oval surface taking the batsman by surprise as he pushed outside the line, only for the ball to thud into the back leg. At the crease are Roshen de Silva (3*) and Niroshan Dickwella (13*), the visitors’ last recognised pair.

Earlier in the day, Shane Dowrich, who resumed on 60, became the highest scoring wicketkeeper in a Day-Night Test when he went past Pakistan’s Sarfraz Ahmed’s 68 from Dubai, but perished lbw trying to flick one behind square.

Holder, however, stuck around, opening up to play some delightful strokes with the wickets tumbling at the other end. The fiery Lahiru Kumara who picked up three of the last four wickets to fall, eventually finishing with his third successive four-for of the series.