First Test in West Indies: Fernando leads Sri Lanka fightback
Oshada Fernando made the most of an early reprieve to lead a Sri Lanka fightback in partnership with Lahiru Thirimanne as the visitors reached 148 for one in their second innings, a lead of 46 runs, at tea on the third day of the first Test against the West Indies in Antigua, AFP reported.
Dropped on 17 at leg-slip by Jason Holder before lunch in the first over from off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall, Fernando settled to reach 79 at the interval, AFP reported.
By tea, he had added 140 for the second wicket with Thirimanne, the left-handed opener following up his first innings top score of 70 out of a paltry total of 169 with a resolute unbeaten 59, AFP reported.
Fernando, in just his eighth Test, came to crease in the fifth over the innings when his captain Dimuth Karunaratne, failed for the second time in the match, AFP reported.
Undone by Cornwall on the opening day, Karunaratne drove at a wide delivery from pacer Kemar Roach to give John Campbell a straightforward catch at third slip, AFP reported.
At eight for one and facing a first innings deficit of 102, the situation looked ominous for Sri Lanka, notwithstanding the speed with which they wrapped up the West Indies first innings.
It took just two overs at the start of the day, Vishwa Fernando dismissing top-scorer Cornwall (61) and last man Shannon Gabriel within the space of four deliveries to claim his first wickets of the innings as the Caribbean team were dismissed for 271.
Suranga Lakmal missed out the tail but ended with career-best Test innings figures of five for 47, an improvement on the fast-medium bowler’s previous best of five for 54 against New Zealand in the Boxing Day Test in Christchurch in 2018.
With Cornwall resuming on 60 and the West Indies already ahead by 99 runs with two wickets in hand, any hope of extending the lead significantly beyond the 100-run mark ended when Fernando bowled the burly right-hander through the gate with just one run added to the batsman’s score.
Shannon Gabriel then lived up to his reputation as a certified tail-ender when he was trapped plumb leg-before to end the innings, bringing some relief to the Sri Lankan camp that had West Indies laboring at 171 for seven after tea on the second day.