The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
It was an absolute pleasure taking you through five days of a rigorous, joyful, tenacious and incredibly outstanding Test Match between Sri Lanka and West Indies. So until next time, allow me Anavit Naik along with my panel of textperts Pratyush Rohra, Ankit Sharma, Prakhar Sachdeo, Lavil Saldanha, Raghav Tikmany, and Pradeep Somashekar to bid you goodbye!
That is all we have from this series. Dimuth Karunaratne collects the trophy and his team joins him in celebration. The series ends 2-0 and Sri Lanka start the next WTC cycle with 24 points. We have plenty of cricketing action in the next couple of months and we hope that you keep us company. For now, you can switch tabs and join my colleagues as they cover the second Test between India and New Zealand which is underway in Mumbai. Switch tabs and enjoy that action.
Dimuth Karunaratne, Sri Lanka captain: (On the series win) I think it was a challenge but eventually, we won the series and that was what I was thinking before the series started. I think I was a bit worried but I think the boys have done the job really well in these conditions and they are very well aware of how to bowl in these conditions. The youngsters performed exceptionally well and did the job for us. (On new batting partner) He seemed very confident, to be honest, and that is what you expect from an opening batsman. I think he has got a great future and hopefully, he can convert these fifties into big hundreds. (On Oshado Fernando's injury) Yea he's all right. He's done the hard yards when he was in the field. Batsmen were hitting all over the place and he wasn't scared. (On being leading run-scorer for the series) Very happy with my performance and looking to get better as we look forward to the next series as well. I would like to take this moment and thank the ground staff for their efforts and special mention to our coach Mickey Arthur and we wish him good luck for the future.
Kraigg Brathwaite, West Indies captain: (on the critical moment in the game) I thought mostly our energy before the second innings was crucial as we were in a good position and you know like me making anything 72, should have been a big hundred, and put the team in the better position with more lead and that is where we let ourselves down, to be honest. (on today's innings) Looking at today w were going good and here again, I thought this series we could have bounced back and today especially we got good starts but did not capitalize on it and in a long 5-day test Match it does come back later to haunt you because on this pitch there are no easy starts and once you get in to make sure you put up that big score. (On positives from the match) We as a batting unit have put in the effort and continue to put in more efforts because we have that hunger to succeed. We have put up good scores but to put up in 110 overs is te real key.
Ramesh Mendis is the Player of the Series!
Ramesh Mendis: I'm pleased to bowl this well for his country and I'm thankful for the support I got from the captain and the entire team. I want to thank my coaches and that I worked really hard in the last few years. I'm more of a bowling all-rounder now but I want to bat well for the team too.
Dhananjaya de SIlva (Player of the match): It's natural always. A batter can score runs under pressure. I enjoy that. That's how the runs come. It's for my father, every good innings I play. It was tough out there. The ball was turning quite a bit. We had to bat long and get through the overs. That was just the plan. I need to mention these to names. Mickey Arthur and Grant Flower. They have helped us immensely. Thank you so much for being with us.
In the first innings, after two sessions were lost due to rain on Day 1, Sri Lanka started off brightly in the amount of time that was available to play after the first two sessions were called off due to rain.
The opening stand of Dimuth Karunaratane and Pathum Nissanka flourished yet again in this series. The skipper got out after getting a start but Nissanka carried on and scored a fine fifty. The departure of the top order though resulted in a capitulation of the Sri Lankan middle-order as they were bowled out for 204.
Veerasammy Permaul was the star of the ball for the West Indies as he took a 5-wicket while Jomel Warrican took 4 wickets.
West Indies started quite well with the bat. Kraigg Brathwaite was at the heart of two important stands. He racked up a 62-run stand with Blackwood and later stitched a partnership of 75 runs for the second wicket along with Bonner, but once this stand was broken, the wickets kept falling for the visitors.
They could not negotiate the spin well. But a late stand between Mayers and Permaul made sure West Indies take back a decent lead with them of 49 runs before getting bowled out. Spin continued to dominate the game as Ramesh Mendis took 6 wickets. But the Windies had a handy lead of 49
Sri Lanka got off to a sloppy start, as they lost a couple of early wickets, both via run out toward the end of Day 3. They started off well on Day 4 though and were able to cut the deficit and were marching on their way to swell the lead.
It was not easy and they found themselves in big trouble when there at 221-8. If not for Dhananjaya de Silva, the hosts could’ve been in a lot of trouble. But he anchored the innings really well with his 155*. He was supported well for the ninth-wicket stand by Lasith Embuldeniya. They both managed to tire out the bowlers and extended the lead to 296 runs.
West Indies in their lead of 297 runs lose their skipper early and that was a huge blow considering how he has carried the batting for so long. Blackwood and Bonner had a 50-run stand for the second wicket until the former fell on the stroke of Lunch on Day 5. Shai Hope had joined Bonner to the crease after Lunch and were going well till the 44th over where hell-bent loose and West Indies kept losing their personnel on the battlefield to eventually be bowled out for a meagre 132.
Sri Lanka Win!
Sri Lanka beat West Indies by 164 runs in this second Test match to take the series 2-0!
Lasith Embuldeniya and Ramesh Mendis have shared the wickets tally equally to claim 5-wickets each as they walk back together sharing the glory
Huge appraise for Ramesh Mendis though for his match-winning figures of 79.2-14-135-11.
It all started with the wicket of Shai Hope that saw the downfall of the Windies innings which slipped further into despair as one fell after another. West Indies started the session with a score reading 65/2 with the wicket of Blackwood being the second one falling just at the stroke of Lunch.
Sri Lanka did not bat much in the first session and declared after facing only a handful of overs. A target of 297 was a big one and it was clear that West Indies were looking to draw it. Kraigg Brathwaite fell quite early but Jermaine Blackwood and Nkrumah Bonner stitched a solid stand. The wicket of Blackwood just before Lunch was a big one for Sri Lanka. But Shai Hope joined Bonner and both of them were looking very solid in the middle. It looked like these two batters will bat till Tea at the very least
Shai Hope tried to pull one of Mendis but found Lakmal at square leg who made no mistake. Roston Chase fell to an orthodox off-break as he edged one to forward short leg where Oshado Fernando grabbed it with both his hands. Mayers and Holder were dismissed soon with the former falling in the same over as Hope and Chase.
Lasith Embuldeniya picked up last 4 out of 5 wickets including the last one to win it for Sri Lanka
57.0
56.1 Lasith Embuldeniya to Jomel Warrican, EDGED AND GONE! Embuldeniya ends with a fifer as well. Sri Lanka complete the clean sweep with a session to spare! A dominant display by the home side and they've outplayed the visitors in both matches. Tossed up around the off-stump line, Warrican prods forward to look for a drive but skews a genuine edge for a simple catch to DDS. Mendis and Embuldeniya walk back together as they share the fifer glory. The Sri Lankan fans are elated. Back in the stands to witness their side complete a series win and it's a lovely send off to their coach, Mickey Arthur, as well! Sri Lanka win by 164 runs and complete the 2-0 clean sweep to seal the series.
Video
;'/></svg>)
D Karunaratne
;'/></svg>){kind=small}
Galle International Stadium
