Sri Lanka collapse and play catch up in Galle

Rex Clementine in Galle

A sensational collapse on day two of the second Test saw Sri Lanka play catch up against West Indies here in Galle yesterday. Resuming from the overnight total f 113 for one, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 204, losing six wickets for 35 runs at one stage. West Indies in reply were 69 for one, trailing by 135 runs, when rain stopped play before tea and there was no resumption.

After the openers had added 106 runs on day one, Sri Lanka were in a position to dictate terms to the West Indies. However, they gave the tourists a sniff and now are playing catch up.

There’s been always a concern as to how Sri Lanka will fare against spin when skipper Dimuth Karunaratne doesn’t fire. Most Sri Lankan batsmen seem to rely on the sweep to score off spinners but that could backfire as well. Dimuth has a variety of strokes when tacking spin like the drive, cut, pull and dancing down the track and playing those lofted shots.

Maybe had Dimuth been around for the England series in January, there wouldn’t have been those bitter defeats and a five wicket haul for the little heard Dom Boss. Apparently, he lost his place in Somerset as well.

Dimuth’s dismissal on day one was massive for the West Indies and they kept picking wickets at regular intervals on day two although Pathum Nissanka played well for his 73.

Veerasammy Permaul (not Perumal) had a dream comeback. The left-arm orthodox spinner had last played a Test match six years ago ended with a maiden five wicket haul and career best figures. Fellow left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican claimed four for 50 as all nine Sri Lankan wickets to fall on day two went for left-arm spinners. Roston Chase’s off-spin got rid of captain Dimuth and it was only the fourth instance in West Indies cricket that the spinners had accounted for all ten wickets.

The first two occasions it happened was when ‘those two little pals of mine’ Alf Valentine and Sonny Ramadhin were around in 1950s. The third occasion was early this year in Bangladesh. We all know what happened in between as West Indies dominated world cricket often using five quicks to devastating advantage. Nowadays, they are just down to two quicks. How times have changed.

Not that the Sri Lankan innings was without any spark. Charith Asalanka produced that. Veerasammy had dismissed Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva in one over and in walked the debutant and he opened his account in Test cricket with a reverse sweep and even Veerasammy had wry smile on his face.

Angelo Mathews retired with a hamstring injury but came back when the eighth wicket fell. He was struggling to run between the wickets and was dealing with boundaries. He brought up Sri Lanka’s 200 with consecutive sixes off Warrican and was last man out for 29.