Courtesy of ESPNcricinfo
Comments on Previous Day
Brathwaite: It was a good achievement. I don’t think my captain ever takes my bowling seriously. I just try to stick to the basics.
Herath: We wanted to get as much runs as possible. The pitch has not much for batsmen, it has more help for the spinners. Anglie and Milinda did well. We could not capitalise in the latter part but I have a lot of confidence in our bowlers. When the batsman is sweeping or coming down the track, there is a difference mindset.
9:25am: Brathwaite had only three first-class wickets before his 6 for 29. We look back at other standout performances by the ‘occasional’ bowlers.
9:20am: Not only did Brathwaite pull the rug from under Sri Lanka’s feet, he also proved to his captain Jason Holder that he was right in demanding a bowl, writes Andrew Fernando
9:15am: [Yesterday] Kraigg Brathwaite took the best figures by a West Indies spinner in Tests since 1975 to make light work of Sri Lanka’s middle and lower order. However, his batting problems continued, as he was out before rain forced early tea, and eventually early stumps on the third day. West Indies need 224 runs; Sri Lanka nine wickets.
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Ranish: “Bravo’s wicket is crucial here. Getting Bravo out would win the match for Sri Lanka. ”
Migara Kulaseka: “Can Milinda do a brathwaite here. Both are batting alrounders”
Kishore: “Age old saying — a century from a top order batsman will ensure 250 for the team easily !! One of these 2 should go on to make a big score.” –At Over 17 with Hope and Bravo at the crease
Venkat: “Nikhil, the pitch is too good for batting now because almost 2 days rain or the WI are batting sensibly?” — Nothing wrong with the pitch. WI picking off a few loose deliveries.
panduka: “Kaushal would have been handy on this deck. ”
christian: “the slow outfield is forcing the west indies batsmen to do something they’re not accustomed to: take singles and twos, which helps them rotate the strike. i’m glad. this will make immovable batsmen out of them”
Senaka: “SriLanka will regret their reckless batting display in the second innings surely.”
Mikey: “Both these two have a chance to really make a name for themself. One a player who has been having a rough patch. The other a young player who the Windies have high hopes for.”
DanielAlexander: “A wicket here and the West Indies famous collapse will begin, Sri Lanka must keep it tighter ”
Migara Kulaseka: “Mathews should introduce himself to the attack to slow down the run making”
ESPN Commentator: Milinda Siriwardana to bowl…WI have put the bowlers to the sword in those 16 overs, taking 60 runs. They have played positively and put the bad deliveries away, but a wicket could easily open the gates for a collapse.
Uwaisul Karnain: “Milinda has now got a wicket in his very first over in each innings of this Test!”
Ananya: “It is time Marlon shows some character and fight in him….. Except for an odd innings or two… Marlon has never takes the bull by its horns….. this is the time for him….”
Ranish: “Bravo’s wicket is crucial here. Getting Bravo out would win the match for Sri Lanka. ”
Sanki: “Samuels looked like a walking wicket to be honest. He was always going to back foot even for the fuller balls. Pretty poor technique in my opinion.”
Nerdy 27%: “I reckon holder has to promote himself up the order and check the wicket fall while allowing Bravo to play freely. Wickets falling at the other end would make Bravo vulnerable.”
Sushil: “Is it the beginning of that collapse? Will be really sad if WI lose from here. Under 150 runs required, it should not be that difficult.”
Tuffey: “What is stopping WI to counterattack and make a quick 50-60 runs, which will put SL on the back foot … why, just why can’t they do it, even they are still losing the wicket”
Sanki: “Taking Mathews’ captaincy history into consideration, a quick 30-run partnership might be just enough to push the field back. WI need to do something here.” — Yes, they do need to make a play
12.00pm Sri Lanka have made a good comeback into the session after a first hour dominated by Bravo and Hope. Bravo scored at a very good clip, scoring 55 in the session off 92. Hope gave him plenty of support from the other end with able technique before he was undone by some terrific flight from Milinda Siriwardana who brought the hosts back into the game. WI lost two more in that session – Samuels’ struggle continued and Blackwood was trapped in front of one that skidded on. Ramdin and Bravo, it seemed, were playing for lunch and the scoring run-rate went down. WI will have to be positive in the second session and get themselves closer to the target. Can they on the raging turner? Will they? Join us in 30 to find out.
khizer: “There is a third contest happening apart from PakvEng & WIvSl is ofcourse between Pak and Sl. Let’s see who will finish first? As I am preparing for my university afternoon class. Hopefully the drama ends before I will go.”
Uwaisul Karnain: “Last over from Herath is easily the Over of the Series!”
Sujan Rao: “There’s nothing like Test cricket for drama! The Sobers-Tissera Trophy in sight now for Sri Lanka. ”
THOUGHT: it is pleasing to see a former Sri Lankan cricketer Uwaisul Karnain watching the proceedings keenly and participating in cricket-talk. And do you know, Uwaisul, that Everton Weekes, now over 90 years old, watches every ball of every Windies match if he can. So we all hope you will live into the nineties and do the same for Sri Lanka. Michael Roberts
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Milinda Siriwardana is the Player of the Match: ‘I’m really proud and happy about my performance. I was just trying to bowl normally and the wicket helps.’
Rangana Herath is the Man of the Series: ‘As a spinner and a bowler, we have to take the responsibility. The batsmen can hit three or four sixes, I don’t mind, but we knew we had enough on the board because there was a bit in the pitch.’
Jason Holder: ‘We fell just short in this Test, we didn’t bat well enough in the second innings. We have got to be patient and patience is key. Whenever we came under pressure from the Sri Lankan bowlers, we succumbed to it. There is a lot we can take away from this series, we are still a young team and we have a lot to learn.’
Angelo Mathews: ‘It was a hard-fought win, our bowlers were under constant pressure because our batsmen didn’t deliver. I never had doubts about my bowlers, even when they were 80 for 1. Ranga has enough and more experience and he showed his masterclass yet again.’
2.10pm So, that brings us to the end of an intriguing and absorbing low-scoring encounter. Sri Lanka’s bowlers were just a shade too good after the first hour on this last day. All it needed was a wicket and Milinda Siriwardana picked that up in his first over. Ever since, Sri Lanka have been completely dominant. West Indies’ middle order could not find form or the boundary or partnerships and succumbed to some wonderful spin bowling. The hosts complete a comfortable series sweep in the end. The pitch was turning and bouncing throughout the Test and Sri Lanka found just enough runs to put it past the visitors.