Sri Lanka vs West Indies: Karunaratne ton lays foundation for a big total

Well, the first day of the first test match at Galle international, Sri Lanka, turned out to be a pretty mundane one. Not being steered by the likes of Sangakkara and Jayawardene anymore, this Sri Lankan side looks very different, indeed.

Winning the toss, the hosts elected to bat first, which may be a wise decision, given the history of this pitch, a batsman’s pitch for the first two or three days, after which the spinners may enjoy a day or two.

Eager to not lose wickets, Lanka warily constructed its slow paced innings, reaching the first fifty in 15.4 overs, 100 in 40.1,  150 in 59.2, 200 in 73.2, and 250 in 90.0 overs, losing just two wickets in the process. Karunaratne scored a commendable century, and is still unbeaten at 135, being supported by Chandimal at 72, who was dropped on 11. The Windies’ bowling proved largely ineffective, given that the conditions are not very seamer-friendly; with Kemar Roach and Devendra Bishoo managing to get a wicket each.

What remains to be seen however is how Siriwardana, who debuts with this match for Sri Lanka performs, and how a relatively inexperienced Windies’ batting side plays against an almost similar inexperienced bowling unit.

Picture courtesy- cricket.com.au