West Indies vs Sri Lanka - 2nd Test

That is it from this game! West Indies won the T20I series and the ODI series. Sri Lanka fought hard throughout the tour but were unable to win any of the series. They though ensured that they did not lose the Test series and managed to draw the 2-match Test series, 0-0. West Indies now await for the announcement for their next series. Sri Lanka head home and welcome Bangladesh for a 2-Test series starting on 21st April. We hope to see you for that one. Till then goodbye and take care!

For his tireless and brilliant bowling performance, Suranga Lakmal is named the Player of the Series. Lakmal says he is really happy. Tells he has been working hard and tells he bowled to try and win the game for his side. Lakmal says that intially the wicket helped him in the first Test but the second Test it was not very helpful. Tells he just tried and bowls in the right areas.

West Indies skipper, Kraigg Brathwaite is also named the Man of the Match for his brilliant performance in both the innings with the bat. Brathwaite says that it is very pleasing as he says he wanted to lead the team from the front. Brathwaite says that the main thing for him was to keep it simple. Tells he had a solid plan and bat to his best. Brathwaite says that he could change his approach at times and tells he is very confident that he can score at whatever rate at any time. Brathwaite says he is happy as it was a good pitch and the bowlers worked hard. Tells he was happy with the effort of the team and batting wise he says they are batting a lot of overs and that he thinks is a positive. Tells the ball did not spin at all. Credits the bowlers and says they need to go from strength to strength. Brathwaite says it is all about discipline and says they are looking to carry the belief into the next series. Kraigg feels they are heading in the right direction. 

Sri Lanka skipper, Dimuth Karunaratne, tells that it was not easy to take wickets in this wicket. Adds there was something in the first two days for the bowlers but nothing after it. Credits Lakmal for the job they did. Adds Chameera and Vishwa worked hard too. Dimuth says they need to improve their batting and need to build partnerships moving forward. Karunaratne tells that the fast bowlers did well. Tells they lost one bowler in the second innings but credits Dhananjaya on how he bowled. Says Pathum Nissanka played like he has played 50 Tests and says that the future looks bright. Karunaratne says they want to pick wickets regularly. Adds they were taking wickets in patches and they need to improve that. Adds patience is the key in Test cricket and they need to work on that too be it with bat or ball. Tells West Indies is a very good side and wishes them good luck for the next series.

On a pitch where nothing was happening for the bowlers, getting 10 wickets in the final session was always going to be a tough task. They were unable to chip in with wickets even though they toiled hard. To make matters worse, Shannon Gabriel did his hammy and the hosts had to make do without him in the final day.

Needing 377 to win, a win was always unlikely but to save the Test, Sri Lanka needed their skipper to find form and bat for a long period. That is what happened. Thirimanne and Karunaratne stitched a patient 101-run stand with the skipper regaining his form and scoring a valuable 75. Oshada continued his form, where Thirimanne left off and scored his second fifty of the series. Oshada Fernando along with Chandimal made sure there was no further damage and ensured that Sri Lanka draw the series. 

Sri Lanka had a tough time on the field in the third innings of this game. First the pitch was docile and timid and to add to that they lost Embuldeniya to what looked like a serious injury and found themselves a bowler short. Lakmal and Chameera were the only two bowlers to get the wickets. Lakmal was the star for Sri Lanka in this series as his tireless work saw him finish the series as the highest wicket-taker.

The pitch got to bat better as the game went on. West Indies had a healthy lead of 96 and built on it. Another classy knock from Brathwaite along with well-paced fifties from Mayers and Holders ensured that the hosts add a further 280 and declare giving Sri Lanka a target of 377. 

It was a collective bowling display in the first innings from the hosts. Roach was the pick of the lot, picking up 3 wickets. Alzarri Jospeh and Holder grabbed two each while Mayers and Blackwood got one apiece. Cornwall bowled well but was unable to get any wicket but overall it was a very good bowling display on a pitch that was very flat.

In response, Sri Lanka struggled. A lot of their players got starts but were unable to convert them into a telling knock. Thirimanne continued his form and scored a fifty. Nissanka followed his debut ton with another impressive fifty. But the failure of the batters to convert the starts saw the tourists bundle out for 258.

Once again it was Lakmal in the first innings who did the majority of the damage with the ball. He was tireless and persistent throughout. Chameera too was impressive and managed to enhance his reputation. The duo scalped 7 wickets amongst themselves with 4 of those going Lakmal's way. 

So a quick recap of this Test. Sri Lanka won the toss and put the hosts into bat. West Indies were in a state of bother as they were struggling at 222/7 as the batters were unable to stick around with skipper, Brathwaite. The skipper though found an able partner in Cornwall as the pair stitched a valuable 103-run stand with Brathwaite getting his maiden Test ton as a skipper and his first in almost 3 years. That helped the hosts reach 354.

So the inevitable has finally happened. Both sides have called truce as this game was heading for a draw. Both sides would feel they had a chance to win the Test series but a draw seems to be a fair result as both cut out each other's strength throughout the series. 

Jermaine Blackwood is back on.

Change in bowling. The skipper, Kraigg Brathwaite is on for his second over.

Change in bowling. Jermaine Blackwood is into the attack. 3-1-5-0, his numbers so far.

Rahkeem Cornwall to partner Jason Holder first up in this session.

We are back for the final session of the Test series. The West Indies players are on the field, taking their respective positions. Oshada Fernando and Dinesh Chandimal stride out to resume their innings. One would feel if they negotiate the first hour of this game, the captains might come to a truce. Jason Holder to start the session with the ball. He will be thinking of wickets.

... Day 5, Final session ...

So it looks like this Test match is heading towards a tame draw. West Indies need 8 wickets in the final session to win this game while Sri Lanka need another 231 runs. One can say they will not be going for that runs for sure. West Indies will look to get at least a couple in the first hour of the final session. Will they be able to do that and send some scare in the visitors dressing room? Join us for the final session to find out.

A much-better session for West Indies but one would feel it is still not good enough to see this game turn in their favour. Alzarri Joseph finally got the better of Lahiru Thirimanne in the first hour of the second session to finally break the opening stand. Karunaratne and Oshada were going around nicely before Mayers managed to extract some good reverse swing and get the better of the Sri Lankan skipper. Oshada and Chandimal then ensured that there were no further damage before the end of the session.

West Indies have taken a review. It is for a caught behind against Oshada Fernando! The umpire thinks the ball lobbed off the pad but West Indies think it is off the bat. Let's see what the replays have to say.

Rahkeem Cornwall is back into the attack. 15.4-1-33-0, his figures so far.

The physio is out now to have a look at Oshada and the helmet.

Review this time from Dimuth Karunaratne! He has been adjudged LBW and this looks very close. He has decided to take it upstairs. Let's see if the technology saves him just like it did Oshada.

Dinesh Chandimal replaces his skipper out in the middle.

Review time! Oshada Fernando has been adjudged LBW but he has opted to review it straightaway!

Kemar Roach is back on!

The 8-ball gauge is out and the current ball has failed that test. The cherry will be replaced now.

DRINKS! West Indies finally found success in the first hour of this session but since then there has not been anything. They have managed to make the ball swing and turn on occasions but Karunaratne is looking good. Oshada Fernando has found his groove too as the pair have stitched a 25-run stand. The hosts need to continue to toil and will be looking to get at least a couple more by the end of this session.

Change in bowling. Kyle Mayers is into the attack for the first time in this innings.

Oshada Fernando walks out at number 3!

Alzarri Joseph replaces Jason Holder.

Shannon Gabriel pulls out of his delivery stride. He seems to have hurt his hamstring there while bowling that ball. This is awful news for West Indies as the pacer is leaving the field straightaway. Rahkeem Cornwall to finish off the remaining of this over.

Shannon Gabriel to bowl from the other end.

We are back for the second session of Day 5. The West Indies players are out in the middle. Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne will resume their innings for Sri Lanka. Jason Holder will start the proceedings for West Indies in this session.

... Day 5, Session 2 ... 

So Sri Lanka have negotiated the first session without any damage and the visitors now need to manage the remaining two sessions to save this game. West Indies have a very tough job in their hand if they are to win this game and the series. Can they produce something inspirational in the remaining sessions? Join us for the second session to find out.

Rahkeem Cornwall is caught for a quick chat before heading for the break. Cornwall says it is a good pitch and they need to hit the right area. Tells they need to be consistent and be patient to see if something happens. Cornwall says this pitch is not offering much. Cornwall tells that it is still a good pitch to bat but says a few balls are keeping low and they need to hit the right areas regularly. On the supporter, Cornwall says that he is a big fan of West Indies cricket and even comes for the local games.

A tough session for West Indies. On a pitch, where batting has looked fairly easy, the bowlers have had to work hard. Their hard work almost paid off as Gabriel almost had the better of Lahiru Thirimanne but Joshua Da Silva put down an easy chance. The bowlers will need the support of the fielders and the hosts will need to keep believing that they can get the job done. Having said that, this won't be an easy task at all. 

A very good session for Sri Lanka. First, the rain delayed the start and when the play started, the pair of Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne have done a superb job to see off the first session themselves with the skipper getting to his fifty and finding his form in the process. Thirimanne did get a life but since then he has been calm and patient.

Change in bowling. Kraigg Brathwaite to bowl what might be the final over of the session.

Change from the other end too. Jason Holder is back on. 3-2-3-0, his numbers so far in this innings. 

DRINKS! Sri Lanka are going about just the way they would have wanted to. The pair of Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne are looking comfortable out in the middle and going about their job nicely. West Indies have not found any success but they would have been aware that it was not going to be an easy task. They will need to continue ot do the hard work and try and get that breakthrough. They had a chance but Joshua Da Silva failed to take a catch that he would have taken every other day.

Alzarri Joseph is on.

Rahkeem Cornwall is into the attack. 2-0-8-0 are his figures so far.

UPDATE 1058 local (1458 GMT) - The rain has gone and the covers are coming off. We don't want to jinx it but let's hope it stays this way and we get a game soon. We are going to start at 1105 local (1505 GMT).

UPDATE 1048 local (1448 GMT) - No...no.... not again! The heavens have opened up and the game has once again come to stand still. Looks like it's going to be a day where the rain is going to play hide and seek with us.

Kemar Roach to bowl from the other end.

We are all set to begin Day 5. The West Indies players are out in the middle. Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne will resume their innings for Sri Lanka. Shannon Gabriel will start the proceedings for Day 5.

UPDATE 1032 local (1432 GMT) - Good news! It has stopped raining and the umpires have informed both the teams that we are going to have a start at 1035 local (1435 GMT).

UPDATE 1025 local (1425 GMT) - Oh no. Just when things started to look good it has started to drizzle again. Hopefully, it is just a passing shower. The umpires have come out for an inspection.

UPDATE 1003 local (1403 GMT) - Good news! It has stopped raining and the covers are slowly coming off. Seems like we will have a start at 1030 local (1430 GMT).

UPDATE 0937 local (1337 GMT) - It's raining heavily and the covers are on. The start has now been officially delayed. Hopefully the rain goes away and we start the action soon but right now it doesn't look too good.

UPDATE 0924 local (1324 GMT) - Not the start we wanted. It is raining here and the start is about to be delayed. A news Sri Lanka would welcome but not what West Indies would have wanted. Let's hope that the delay is not a long one and we get action as quickly as possible. Stay tuned for further updates.

Hello and welcome to the final day of the second and final Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka. Only two results seem to be realistic options. A West Indies win or a draw. The hosts will need to be at their best and keep putting the efforts throughout if they are to take all 10 wickets. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have all their 10 wickets intact and will be hoping that the batters can save this game by batting the day. This promises to be a thrilling finale. Stay tuned for further updates.

... Day 5, Session 1 ...

So that is it from Day 4! A Sri Lanka win is highly unlikely but they will look to put on a fight and deny West Indies from winning the series. They will have all their wickets in hand and will look to ensure they do not lose this game. West Indies, will need to work hard as this pitch does not have a lot for the bowlers. Make sure to join us for the final day of this tour. Will West Indies win the Test series as well or will Sri Lanka fight their way to a draw? Join us at 0930 local (1330 GMT). Till then, goodbye and take care!

West Indies skipper, Kraigg Brathwaite is caught for a chat. Brathwaite says it is a decent pitch but adds there are some balls that are keeping low. Tells they were looking to bowl some overs towards the end of the day and try and get some wickets. Brathwaite says runs on the board is good but admits it won't be easy as it is still a good wicket. Brathwaite says they are aware that they need to take it session by session and not think ahead of themselves. 

Sri Lanka had a tough day all-around. Their bowlers toiled hard but they were left a bowler short as Embuldeniya injured himself and his participation in this game looks highly unlikely. Lakmal and Chameera were the two bowlers who shared the 4 West Indies wickets. Needing 377 to win and more importantly around 40 minutes to see off the day, Lahiru Thirimanne and Dimuth Karunaratne ensured the visitors enter the final day with all wickets intact.

West Indies earlier managed to wrap up the Sri Lankan innings quickly by grabbing the two wickets in the first 4 overs of the day. With a lead of 96, the hosts built on it brilliantly and added a further 280. Brathwaite once again played well for his 85 while Mayers and Holder were quick to get their fifties. The latter remained unbeaten along with Joshua Da Silva and added a quickfire unbeaten 53-run stand allowing Brathwaite to declare giving the tourists a target of 377.

A day that belonged to West Indies but Sri Lanka will be satisfied with how they have ended the day. The opening pair of Lahiru Thirimanne and Dimuth Karunaratne have managed to see off the last 40-odd minutes of the day without losing a wicket.

Change of ends for Kemar Roach as he replaces Jason Holder.

Change in bowling. First one of the innings as Rahkeem Cornwall is introduced into the attack. Very good captaincy from Kraigg Brathwaite as he has gone with both short leg and silly point. A move we seldom see in Test cricket nowadays.

The physio is out in the middle. Dimuth Karunaratne seems to have hurt his hamstring. Let us hope that he is fine to continue.

Not Shannon Gabriel but it is Jason Holder who will share the new ball from the other end with Roach.