499/10 (165.5)
CR : 3.01
RR : 0.00
Match Drawn
Player of the Match
Justin Greaves
1/43180(325)
2:35 AM IST, 5:05 PM Local Time: MATCH DRAWN. It always had to end like this. With the Sri Lankan second innings starting in the final session on Day 4, there was always very little time left to force a result. West Indies take the series 1-0 and deservingly so. Their batters have finally shown some great application and consistency in the longest format, and one must credit them for that. Let's have a quick look at what all took place in the last 5 days:
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first on Day 1. On the back of a brilliant 188 by Lahiru Udara and some fine contributions from Kamindu Mendis (84), Kusal Mendis (69) and Sonal Dinusha (92), the visitors batted for more than 1.5 days before declaring at 549/9. The pick of the bowlers from that first West Indies bowling effort were Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph for figures of 2/98 each. The rest of the attack shared a wicket each.
Despite a fine 72 from John Campbell, the West Indies found themselves in a spot of bother at 144/4 in response to Sri Lanka's score. Shai Hope and Justin Greaves led the rescue act and notched up a mammoth 224-run partnership before the former was dismissed for 112. Greaves added 52 with Roston Chase before a short ball ploy from Asitha Fernando blew the lower order away. From 438/6, the hosts slipped to 478/9 before eventually getting bowled out for 499. Greaves was the last man to get out for a superb 180. The pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka was Asitha Fernando for his 5-130. Prabath Jayasuriya too bowled well for his 3-131.
Sri Lanka started their second innings late on Day 4 with a lead of 50. They lost their openers cheaply and the star from the first innings, Udara, was dismissed for a globe. Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis added 60 runs for the third wicket before Stumps on Day 4 and made sure no other casualty took place.
Coming into Day 5 Sri Lanka were 92/2, with a lead of 142. The plan was very clear. They were going to play some attacking cricket in order to get the lead over 300. The attempt looked neat in the first hour when only for the loss of one wicket, Sri Lanka added 59 Runs. Dinesh Chandimal got to his 50 and things looked settled.
However, the execution in the second hour from the batters was wayward. From 188/4, the visitors slipped to 231/8 before heading into the lunch interval with a lead of 281. To everyone's surprise they continued to bat post-lunch and added 20 more before declaring at 251/9. The lead was of 301, and the West Indies were set a target of 302.
The approach from the West Indian openers was calm and collected. Both Brandon King and John Campbell played on the merit of the ball and stitched up a fine 65-run stand before Tea. They continued the good work in the final session as well before rain came down to take away an hour off the game. The match resumed and both batters did well to cross 50. West Indies reached 109/0, both batters were on 51*, and that is when the teams came to a mutual agreement to settle this contest with a draw. John Campbell and Dhananjaya de Silva shook hands to make it official.
Sri Lanka were given a task of picking up 10 wickets inside 2 sessions to force a result. Well, as the evening unfolded, they could not pick up even 1 wicket. That is how well the pitch was still playing, and that is how well the West Indian batters applied themselves. Sri Lanka would feel agitated that despite scoring 549/9 d in the first innings, they were unable to draw the series at 1-1. West Indies would feel over the moon. They have successfully won a series at home on the back of some heroics with the bat, something the hosts have waited for a long time to happen.
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first on Day 1. On the back of a brilliant 188 by Lahiru Udara and some fine contributions from Kamindu Mendis (84), Kusal Mendis (69) and Sonal Dinusha (92), the visitors batted for more than 1.5 days before declaring at 549/9. The pick of the bowlers from that first West Indies bowling effort were Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph for figures of 2/98 each. The rest of the attack shared a wicket each.
Despite a fine 72 from John Campbell, the West Indies found themselves in a spot of bother at 144/4 in response to Sri Lanka's score. Shai Hope and Justin Greaves led the rescue act and notched up a mammoth 224-run partnership before the former was dismissed for 112. Greaves added 52 with Roston Chase before a short ball ploy from Asitha Fernando blew the lower order away. From 438/6, the hosts slipped to 478/9 before eventually getting bowled out for 499. Greaves was the last man to get out for a superb 180. The pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka was Asitha Fernando for his 5-130. Prabath Jayasuriya too bowled well for his 3-131.
Sri Lanka started their second innings late on Day 4 with a lead of 50. They lost their openers cheaply and the star from the first innings, Udara, was dismissed for a globe. Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis added 60 runs for the third wicket before Stumps on Day 4 and made sure no other casualty took place.
Coming into Day 5 Sri Lanka were 92/2, with a lead of 142. The plan was very clear. They were going to play some attacking cricket in order to get the lead over 300. The attempt looked neat in the first hour when only for the loss of one wicket, Sri Lanka added 59 Runs. Dinesh Chandimal got to his 50 and things looked settled.
However, the execution in the second hour from the batters was wayward. From 188/4, the visitors slipped to 231/8 before heading into the lunch interval with a lead of 281. To everyone's surprise they continued to bat post-lunch and added 20 more before declaring at 251/9. The lead was of 301, and the West Indies were set a target of 302.
The approach from the West Indian openers was calm and collected. Both Brandon King and John Campbell played on the merit of the ball and stitched up a fine 65-run stand before Tea. They continued the good work in the final session as well before rain came down to take away an hour off the game. The match resumed and both batters did well to cross 50. West Indies reached 109/0, both batters were on 51*, and that is when the teams came to a mutual agreement to settle this contest with a draw. John Campbell and Dhananjaya de Silva shook hands to make it official.
Sri Lanka were given a task of picking up 10 wickets inside 2 sessions to force a result. Well, as the evening unfolded, they could not pick up even 1 wicket. That is how well the pitch was still playing, and that is how well the West Indian batters applied themselves. Sri Lanka would feel agitated that despite scoring 549/9 d in the first innings, they were unable to draw the series at 1-1. West Indies would feel over the moon. They have successfully won a series at home on the back of some heroics with the bat, something the hosts have waited for a long time to happen.
This is the first Test series win for the West Indies in three years and five months, while their first over Sri Lanka in 23 years.
Time for the Post-Match Presentations....
PLAYER OF THE MATCH AND SERIES: JUSTIN GREAVES
Justin Greaves (Player of the Match and Series): (On his century and batting approach) "It was all about batting for the team. We did some really good work before the series, and the coaches prepared us well. The bowling group also gave us a great challenge in training. Once I got to the crease, my focus was to put my head down and stay there for as long as possible.
(On converting starts into big scores) It's very simple. Kemar Roach always says, 'Stay hungry.' Once you get in, stay in, because you never know when the next opportunity will come. So, whenever I get a start, I try to make the most of it.
(On batting at this venue) It's a nice place to bat. I've played franchise cricket here, so the familiarity helps. Once you get in, it's important to capitalize.
(On switching from Test cricket to the white-ball format) For me, it's about sticking to the basics and being disciplined in everything I do. I'll take a couple of days to prepare, and then I'll switch my focus to white-ball cricket. The approach stays pretty much the same for me."
(On converting starts into big scores) It's very simple. Kemar Roach always says, 'Stay hungry.' Once you get in, stay in, because you never know when the next opportunity will come. So, whenever I get a start, I try to make the most of it.
(On batting at this venue) It's a nice place to bat. I've played franchise cricket here, so the familiarity helps. Once you get in, it's important to capitalize.
(On switching from Test cricket to the white-ball format) For me, it's about sticking to the basics and being disciplined in everything I do. I'll take a couple of days to prepare, and then I'll switch my focus to white-ball cricket. The approach stays pretty much the same for me."
Dhananjaya de Silva (Sri Lanka Captain): "[On the decision to bat first] Well you know, the wicket was a bit drier than the last one. Prabath was also playing so with a spinner in the team, I had the fourth innings in mind.
[Was Lahiru Udara a big positive?] Of course. He didn't play the first match, and he was hungry to get some runs and come back to the eleven. He has proved that he belongs to that eleven.
[Could they have done anything different to force a result?] Not really you know. It was turning even on day 5. Also, we did not have any X-factor in our team who bowls at 140-145 kph. I felt the batting was pretty good. However, the bowling has to go back home and review the performance.
[Learnings from this series] Well obviously, taking 20 wickets in a game is something I always think about while playing Test cricket. Also, as I said earlier, having an X-factor bowler in the team who can take wickets in every given situation."
[Was Lahiru Udara a big positive?] Of course. He didn't play the first match, and he was hungry to get some runs and come back to the eleven. He has proved that he belongs to that eleven.
[Could they have done anything different to force a result?] Not really you know. It was turning even on day 5. Also, we did not have any X-factor in our team who bowls at 140-145 kph. I felt the batting was pretty good. However, the bowling has to go back home and review the performance.
[Learnings from this series] Well obviously, taking 20 wickets in a game is something I always think about while playing Test cricket. Also, as I said earlier, having an X-factor bowler in the team who can take wickets in every given situation."
Roston Chase (West Indies Captain): (On his first series win as West Indies captain) "I think this is by far my greatest achievement as a West Indies player. We hadn't beaten Sri Lanka in 23 years, and that was the driving force for us to come out and perform the way we did.
(On answering the critics with his own performances) That's the beauty of sport. You can fail for a long time, and then one day everything clicks, and you find your way back. It feels magnificent to stand up for the team as captain, not only by trying to inspire and motivate the guys but by going out there and doing the hard work. I think that inspires the team and helps everyone believe in each other.
(On the progress of the West Indies team) I'm very pleased with the way the team is developing. Usually, it's the bowlers who do most of the hard work, but in this series the batters really stood up. We scored four centuries, and they were big centuries. That's exactly what I've been asking from the guys. If we're going to compete as a top Test nation, we have to score runs consistently. We already know what we're capable of with the ball, and once our batting continues to improve, we'll become a top Test side.
(On his favourite moment of the series) Kemar Roach's 300th wicket was very special. Seeing the boys celebrate with him and jump on his back while he stood there enjoying the moment -that was my favourite part of the series.
(On handing over the captaincy to Shai Hope) Playing for West Indies is always an honour. Whether I'm the captain or just another player in the team, it's always special to represent the West Indies. Now we're looking forward to the next series."
(On answering the critics with his own performances) That's the beauty of sport. You can fail for a long time, and then one day everything clicks, and you find your way back. It feels magnificent to stand up for the team as captain, not only by trying to inspire and motivate the guys but by going out there and doing the hard work. I think that inspires the team and helps everyone believe in each other.
(On the progress of the West Indies team) I'm very pleased with the way the team is developing. Usually, it's the bowlers who do most of the hard work, but in this series the batters really stood up. We scored four centuries, and they were big centuries. That's exactly what I've been asking from the guys. If we're going to compete as a top Test nation, we have to score runs consistently. We already know what we're capable of with the ball, and once our batting continues to improve, we'll become a top Test side.
(On his favourite moment of the series) Kemar Roach's 300th wicket was very special. Seeing the boys celebrate with him and jump on his back while he stood there enjoying the moment -that was my favourite part of the series.
(On handing over the captaincy to Shai Hope) Playing for West Indies is always an honour. Whether I'm the captain or just another player in the team, it's always special to represent the West Indies. Now we're looking forward to the next series."
Now, Roston Chase gets the trophy, and he poses with his teammates behind the WINNERS board.
A long, draining, gruelling, multi-format series between Sri Lanka and the West Indies comes to an end. As cricket fans, we must say 'thank you', as we were thoroughly entertained by both the teams over the last month.
Sri Lanka won the ODI series 1-0, with two matches getting washed out. West Indies bounced back to clinch the T20I series 2-1. They carried the momentum forward into the Tests and, on the back of two fine batting performances, clinched the series 1-0.
What lies ahead for the two teams? West Indies await the arrival of Pakistan for a 2-match Test series later this month, but before that, a five-match ODI series against New Zealand kicks off later this week. Sri Lanka will go back home and prepare for India as the 'men in blue' are slated to play a 2-match Test series in Sri Lanka in the month of August.
It was a great pleasure to cover this series and present it to you. On this note, I, Manan Mehta, would like to take your leave on behalf of my colleagues Dev Rajawat and Danish Elahi. Adios!!!
Sri Lanka won the ODI series 1-0, with two matches getting washed out. West Indies bounced back to clinch the T20I series 2-1. They carried the momentum forward into the Tests and, on the back of two fine batting performances, clinched the series 1-0.
What lies ahead for the two teams? West Indies await the arrival of Pakistan for a 2-match Test series later this month, but before that, a five-match ODI series against New Zealand kicks off later this week. Sri Lanka will go back home and prepare for India as the 'men in blue' are slated to play a 2-match Test series in Sri Lanka in the month of August.
It was a great pleasure to cover this series and present it to you. On this note, I, Manan Mehta, would like to take your leave on behalf of my colleagues Dev Rajawat and Danish Elahi. Adios!!!