COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s spinners, led by Rangana Herath, put in an impressive performance as the second Test against the West Indies ended in a draw on the fifth and final day on Saturday.
Left-armer Herath removed Dwayne Bravo, Sulieman Benn and Carlton Baugh as the West Indies were bowled out for 243 in their first innings just before tea in reply to Sri Lanka’s 387-9 declared.
Sri Lanka declared in their second innings on 57-1, with Tharanga Paranavitana scoring 20 not out and skipper Kumar Sangakkara one not out. Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (26) was the lone batsman to be dismissed, caught behind off Bravo.
The West Indies, set an improbable 202-run target off 21 overs, lost openers Chris Gayle (three) and Adrian Barath (eight) before reaching 12-2 in their second innings when play was called off due to bad light. Ajantha Mendis trapped Barath leg-before and part-time spinner Dilshan had Gayle caught by former captain Mahela Jayawardene at first slip.
The three-Test series is tied 0-0 after the drawn matches in Galle and Colombo. The final Test starts in Pallekele on Wednesday. West Indies wicketkeeper Baugh earlier hit six fours in his second Test half-century to help his team avoid the follow-on.
The tourists, resuming at 165-5 after rain washed out the morning session, slipped from 205-5 to 209-8 in the afternoon, with Herath taking two wickets and debutant paceman Suranga Lakmal one. “We didn’t have enough time to do anything on the final day. It’d have been a good Test match if we had play for at least four days,” said Sangakkara, named man of the match for his brilliant 150 in the first innings.
“It was a tough hundred as playing strokes was a bit difficult and I am pretty satisfied.” The West Indies started the day needing 23 runs with five wickets in hand to make Sri Lanka bat again and made them comfortably as Bravo (20) and Baugh played cautiously in the early stages. Bravo later executed some handsome shots, lofting Lakmal over mid-on for a four and then hitting Herath for a four and a six in the same over.
Herath got his first wicket of the innings when he had Bravo stumped in his next over after the batsman had added 44 runs for the sixth wicket with Baugh.
Sammy, out for a duck in his only innings in Galle, failed again, contributing just two runs before being caught by Angelo Mathews at square-leg while pulling Lakmal. Benn fell for nought, caught by Paranavitana at forward short-leg off Herath.
Baugh was on four when given out leg-before off Mendis’s first delivery by umpire Richard Kettleborough, but asked for review of the decision and was then ruled not out. He survived again when he asked for another review after being given out leg-before off Herath when on 21.
