Pacers help Windies nose ahead

Windies returned thundering in the challenge as Sri Lanka disintegrated against some quality quick playing in the last session of the second day to hand the hosts the preferred standpoint in the third and last Test in Barbados on Sunday (June 24). In the wake of gaining some critical ground in the second session, Sri Lanka stammered under lights and finished the day on 99 for 5, still 105 behind the 204 posted by the hosts.

Sri Lanka had a sad begin to the last session as they lost three wickets for only 10 races to slip from 75 for 2 to 85 for 5. Everything began with Shannon Gabriel castling Kusal Mendis before Danushka Gunathilaka was caught in front by Jason Holder and afterward Dhananjaya de Silva fell leg before to Gabriel. All the great work done by Mendis and Gunathilaka in the second session was diminished to nothing in simply the space of five overs.

While Kusal Perera flashed at a wide ball and was gotten behind, Mahela Udawatte battled for 18 conveyances before he was sent back by Kemar Roach. That is when Gunathilaka and Mendis got together to repair the harm. Windies thought that it was extreme as the twosome demonstrated some outstanding application against their quality knocking down some pins to take the group forward. Their unbeaten 50 years stand took Sri Lanka to 75 for 2, only 129 short of Windies' aggregate. At that stage, Sri Lanka more likely than not engaged any expectations of batting the Windies out of the amusement before everything came smashing down.

Prior in the day, slight shower postponed the beginning of procedures yet brilliant blue skies respected the groups for the critical session. With the old pink ball not offering much development, Sri Lanka needed to rely upon the bob on offer and the two-paced nature of the track. They continued testing yet both Shane Dowrich and Holder rode their fortunes to survive the main hour.

Holder, especially, carried on with an enchanted life as edges either left from the defenders or missed the mark amid his 123-ball remain. Beginning on 132 for 5, Windies required the set pair to continue and lift the group out of inconvenience. They did only that with Holder scoring all the more uninhibitedly in the wake of beginning from his medium-term score of 33. He enrolled his seventh Test 50 years to take the group forward while Dowrich held one wind up.

The 'manager batsman fell initially, when he was caught plumb in front by Lahiru Kumara in the 56th over. Windies had 168 on the board at that point yet lost two all the more speedy wickets - of Devendra Bishoo and Holder - to slip to 189 for 8. Cockroach and Miguel Cummins pushed the aggregate past 200 to baffle the guests considerably more before they were in the end shot down for an unassuming score.

Brief scores: Windies 204 (Jason Holder 74, Shane Dowrich 71; Lahiru Kumara 4-58) lead Sri Lanka 99/5 (Kemar Roach 2-13) by 105 runs.