SL vs WI: Dhananjaya's ton put hosts on top
Sri Lanka gained momentum on Day 4 of the second Test against West Indies at the Galle International Stadium. A phenomenal knock by Dhananjaya de Silva helped Sri Lanka extend their lead in the second innings. Sri Lanka finished on 328/8, with de Silva still batting on 153. The hosts now lead by 279 runs. Here are the key takeaways from Day 4.
How did Day 4 pan out?
Sri Lanka resumed from their overnight score of 46/2 on Day 4. They had lost Oshada Fernando and skipper Dimuth Karunaratne yesterday. The likes of de Silva and Pathum Nissanka took the Lankans forward. While the middle-order batters couldn't do much, de Silva held one end. Notwithstanding, he received support from Ramesh Mendis (25) and Lasith Embuldeniya (25*). SL finished on 328/8 at stumps.
De Silva slams his eighth Test ton
An incredible ton by de Silva put Sri Lanka on top on the fourth day. He fired his eighth century in Test cricket. The middle-order batter has crossed the 150-run mark for the third time in the format. He is unbeaten on 153 (259) at the moment. This is de Silva's second Test ton in 2021 (previous: 166)
Test ton against seven different teams
De Silva has now scored a century against seven different teams in Test cricket. His scores read as - 129 vs Australia, 127 vs Zimbabwe, 119* vs India, 173 vs Bangladesh, 109 vs New Zealand, 102* vs Pakistan, 166 vs Bangladesh, 153* vs West Indies.
A look at the other talking points
Pathum Nissanka continued his impressive run. He registered his second 50+ score in the Test (66). The 23-year-old scored 73 in the first innings. Nissanka now has three half-centuries in the ongoing series. After his dismissal, SL were reduced to 221/8. Thereafter, Embuldeniya (25*) shared a 107-run stand with de Silva. On the other hand, Veerasammy Permaul was the pick of WI's bowlers (3/100).
