WI vs SL, 1st Test: Key takeaways from Day 3
West Indies, who resumed Day 3 on 268/8 against Sri Lanka in the ongoing first Test, folded for 271. The Windies gained a lead of 102 runs. Post that, Sri Lanka fought back and finished Day 3 on 255/4. They have taken a crucial lead of 153 runs to leave the first Test perfectly in balance. Here are the takeaways.
How did Day 3 pan out?
After losing skipper Dimuth Karunaratne early, the likes of Lahiru Thirimanne and Oshado Fernando stitched a vital 162-run stand for the second wicket. Lanka were reduced to 189/4 at one stage, however, Dhananjaya de Silva and Pathum Nissanka have added 66 runs. For the West Indies, Kemar Roach and Kyle Mayers claimed two wickets each.
A defining 162-run stand for the Lankans
Thirimanne and Fernando's century plus stand helped Sri Lanka recover from a poor start. This partnership saw the side overcome West Indies' lead. Thirimanne scored a 201-ball 76 in an innings laced with four fours. Meanwhile, Fernando played a more aggressive innings, piling up 91 from 149 balls. He smashed 11 fours and was unfortunate to miss out on a century.
Thirimanne smashes second successive fifty in this Test
Thirimanne slammed his second successive fifty in the match. In the first innings, he had scored 70 from 180 deliveries. His twin fifties have seen him race to 1,769 runs at 25.27. He now has eight fifties in Tests. Notably, he went past Upul Tharanga's tally of 1,754 runs. Meanwhile, Fernando hit his second fifty in Tests.
Roach and Mayers take four wickets between themselves
It was a long day for the West Indian bowlers as they managed just four wickets. Roach removed Karunaratne early on before getting the decisive scalp of Thirimanne. Roach now has 210 Test scalps, equaling the tally of Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan. Meanwhile, Mayers got figures of 2/10 in the four overs he bowled. It was a sturdy display by Mayers.
