Another day of Test cricket over. This match isn't going to turn any heads and make people drop what they're doing to tune in, but it's intriguing in its own way.
Again, I didn't see any play until around tea. Happens due to work and whatnot, but I did get caught up quickly enough.
Didn't take very long for Sri Lanka to wrap up the innings. Like I said, Gabriel isn't going to do a thing with the bat, so once they got Cornwall it wasn't much longer for the West Indies' batting effort. Still, Cornwall's innings yesterday was something to be lauded. Going forward from this match, he will want to prove that this wasn't just a one-time event. And he has the ability. Didn't see how he got out, but seems to have been a really good delivery from what I read on Cricinfo. Still, this hopefully isn't the last good batting score we'll see from him. If he can manage to average around 25 with the bat, that will put him in excellent stead for making his spot in the team permanent.
Roach continues to do superbly against left-handers. Karunaratne got out playing away from his body, and as I mentioned in a pervious post, that's when bad things happen as a batsman. Roach does manage to keep that line outside off and then take it away from the left-handers. Not an easy thing to do. And he can also bring it back in, as Thirimanne saw. Another loose drive from him after what was up until then an excellent innings. He doesn't offer much chances, but just like in the first innings, he suffers from the rare lapse in concentration. It was almost the same shot both times. But that was some movement off the pitch from Roach. Thirimanne probably didn't expect such exaggerated movement at all. At the moment, if you're a left-hander in world cricket, you'd be well-advised to fear Kemar Roach.
Before that though, it was all Sri Lanka. Fernando (the batting one, not the bowler), and Thirimanne took all the wind out of the West Indies' sails. They were looking quite flat in the field. Giving the ball to Mayers was pretty much a gamble on Brathwaite's part. But it's a gamble that worked immediately. Legcutter, outside edge, Fernando gone. A few minutes later it was the same. Legcutter, outside edge, Chandimal gone. In his short spell he continued bowling a good line for the most part, which is good to see. He's a decent bowler, definitely not a frontline seamer, but no average part-timer either. Ian Bishop on commentary said it best - if you can get him to bowl maybe 10 overs a day that would be more than useful. If he can chip in with a wicket in those 10 overs, even better. His primary role in the team is as a batsman, and he should never lose sight of that. But his bowling shouldn't be neglected either.
As for the rest of the bowlers...hmm. Holder didn't look like he did in the first innings. There was just that something missing today. Gabriel has bowled a lot better than in the first innings. He isn't totally there yet, but he's improving. Way more accurate today, and his speed was good. He didn't look as winded as he was on the first day as well. The only way he'll get back to full fitness is by bowling more, and there's a marked improvement in each spell. I won't be able to see him bowl with the new ball tomorrow, but he might just be reaching that point during that spell. Joseph has not had a Test match to write home about. He hasn't really done anything bad, but he hasn't really done anything special either. At the moment he's just making up the numbers, and not doing a thing worth talking about. He has to step it up tomorrow when he gets a chance, because there is the very real possibility that he won't play in the next match if he continues to just get the ball down to the other end without doing a thing of note. And I hated typing that, because I like Joseph a lot and I think he has a lot of talent.
Nissanka and de Silva have built a solid partnership thus far. Going into Day 4, they will want to extend that partnership as far as possible. They'll be facing the new ball, which is tailor-made for Nissanka since he opens at FC level. The pitch will probably be at its best for batting around midmorning tomorrow, and they'll want to both be there to take advantage of it. That's not to say that there isn't anything there for the bowlers. There is help for both the seamers and...well, Cornwall. But it won't happen unless they put the ball in the right areas.
Who won today? You'd have to give that decision to Sri Lanka. They got the last two wickets cheaply and then built a massive partnership after the loss of an early wicket. They were in control of the first two sessions by far. The West Indies fought back after tea, getting three quick wickets, including the two well-set batsmen. But Nissanka and de Silva stuck in there and they are both looking very solid. With those two and then Dickwella to come, they'll want to have at least a 250-run lead before they can start breathing easier. A lead of 300 runs can potentially win the game, because despite the pitch flattening out and might be good for batting early on tomorrow, it's going to deteriorate after that. You won't see much uneven bounce or anything, but the footmarks will be there for the spinners and every now and then the ball will do something funny for the seamers. The West Indies, on the other hand, won't go in feeling totally dejected, because they had a decent final session that started to turn things around a little. They have the new ball available, and they should look to take it from the start of play tomorrow. This is a Sri Lankan team with a long tail. Two quick wickets and that tail is exposed, at least from one end. That's what they should be thinking about. I'd give the new ball to Roach and Holder and let them bowl on the fuller side of a good length.
Hopefully by the time I get home tomorrow I'll be seeing the West Indies batting. But Sri Lanka won't want that. They'll want to bat at least into the last session tomorrow. 330 with half a session and an entire day to go will tempt the home team, but they're going to have to score at a relatively good clip to get there. And that will bring chances. A chase like what happened in Bangladesh doesn't happen all the time.
Like I said, this match isn't turning any heads, but it's definitely intriguing. Can still go either way, although right now Sri Lanka are just about ahead. Early wickets tomorrow will change that. Both teams can go a long way to controlling the outcome of the game by how they play the first session. Disciplined bowling will be the key for the West Indies. For Sri Lanka, it's about seeing off the new ball while pushing that target score further upward.
