Sri Lanka eye win after enforcing follow-on against West Indies on Day 3 of the first Test at Galle

Sri Lanka are in a commanding position against the West Indies in the first Test at Galle.

Sri Lanka are in a commanding position against the West Indies in the first Test at Galle. At stumps on Day 3, the visitors were struggling at 67 for 2 after following-on, having lost both the openers. Shai Hope became Milinda Siriwardena’s first Test victim, as he dragged one onto his stumps off a thick inside edge. Kraigg Brathwaite was the next to go, who played a Rangana Herath delivery down the wrong line and was adjudged LBW. At the close of play, Darren Bravo was unbeaten with night-watchman Devendra Bishoo giving him company. They are still trailing by 166 runs and have a monumental task of saving this game ahead of them. In the first innings, they were bowled out for 251 and were forced to follow on. But the second innings story so far doesn’t inspire confidence either. The writing is pretty much on the wall as the Sri Lankan spinners are having a ball.  LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD: Sri Lanka vs West Indies 2015, 1st Test at Galle, Day 3

It was always going to be about how the West Indian batsmen play Sri Lanka’s spinners in the series, and in the first game itself, the Lankan spinners lead by veteran Herath wreaked havoc. Earlier today, resuming with their overnight score of 66 for 2, West Indian batsmen crumbled against the master-class of Herath, who ended the first innings with 6 for 68. It all started with Samuels’ wicket, who lost his stumps trying to hit Herath over the midwicket. Jermaine Blackwood then came in and added 41 runs for the fourth wicket with Bravo before Dhammika Prasad got him. Bravo, who had been patiently holding one end up, was the next to go when Dinesh Chandimal took a stunner off Herath to remove him immediately after his fifty. LIVE BLOG: Sri Lanka vs West Indies 2015, 1st Test at Galle, Day 3

Thereon, the wickets kept falling at regular intervals before the tail wagged for a while. Denesh Ramdin and Jason Holder got starts but were dismissed by Nuwan Pradeep and Prasad respectively. Jerome Taylor scored a run-a-ball 31 including four boundaries and a six, before Kaushal got him dismissed. Kemar Roach and Devendra Bishoo too added to Sri Lanka’s frustrations before the last two wickets fell on the same score and West Indies bundled out for 251, just 34 runs away from avoiding follow on. Apart from Bravo and the tail, other batsmen went without much of a fight and were victim to the quality spin of Herath. The defense by the top order batsmen was punctuated by unnecessary and untimely rash shots which eventually led to the peril of most of them. Catch live cricket scores and ball-by-ball commentary of 1st Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies, Day 2 at Galle here

All eyes will be on Herath once again when the play resumes on Day 4. The wily spinner has almost confirmed his team’s victory in the match and it will be interesting to see whether the West Indian batsmen take the game to Day 5 or surrender on Day 4 itself.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka 484 (Dimuth Karunaratne 186, Dinesh Chandimal 151, Angelo Mathews 48; Devendra Bishoo 4 for 143, Jerome Taylor 2 for 65) lead West Indies 251 (Darren Bravo 50, Jerome Taylor 31; Herath 6 for 68) and 67/2 (Kraigg Braithwaite 34, Shai Hope 6, Darren Bravo 20*, Devendra Bishoo 6*; Herath 1 f0r 17, Siriwardena 1 for 30) by 166 runs.

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(A self-confessed cricket freak, Chinmay Jawalekar is a senior writer with Criclife and CricketCountry. When not writing or following cricket, he loves to read, eat and sleep. He can be followed here @CricfreakTweets)

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