Cricket News By TODAYLIVESCORE.INFO - SL openers raise half-century stand in wicketless session. The pair made the West Indies bowlers toil
The pair made the West Indies bowlers toil
Sri Lanka chose the attritional route to wear down the West Indian bowlers as openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka put on a patient half-century stand in a wicketless opening session of the first Test in Galle. Sri Lanka were 61/0 at Lunch, with Karunaratne on 32* and Nissanka managing 25 not out.
In an unfortunate incident late in the first session, debutant Jeremy Solozano was struck hard on the grille of his helmet at short leg by a shot from Karunaratne off Roston Chase. He was stretchered off the field and taken in an ambulance to a hospital for scans.
Early in the session, Nissanka was troubled by short deliveries from Shannon Gabriel and got outside edges which evaded the slip cordon for a couple of boundaries. But he grit it out and put on a partnership with Dimuth Karunaratne, who was solid with his defence while his only four in the first hour was against a full delivery from Jason Holder which he drove through the off side confidently.
Rahkeem Cornwall was introduced as early as the sixth over and he even beat Karunaratne on the drive with a tossed up delivery. He could have picked up the wicket of the Sri Lankan captain in the 12th over but for Jermaine Blackwood to put down a relatively tough chance at slip. The West Indies bowlers kept testing the Sri Lankan openers who rode their luck and kept them at bay.
Growing in confidence as the session progressed, Karunaratne flicked a Cornwall delivery and pulled Kyle Mayers through midwicket for two fours. Nissanka, at the other end, wasn't too comfortable against the spinners either but showed great patience despite his struggle. It was only in the second half of the second hour that the Sri Lankan openers extended the partnership past fifty.
Karunaratne attempted a reverse sweep against Jomel Warrican to be rapped on the pads and West Indies ended up losing a review. He also got an inside edge off the same bowler while trying to punch off the back foot. West Indies lost another review for a caught-behind, with replays revealing that Chase's delivery to Nissanka only struck the pad. Nissanka was also beaten outside off by Warrican, who was getting the ball to turn. But he survived as Sri Lanka denied West Indies any wicket in the first session.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 61/0 (Dimuth Karunaratne 32*, Pathum Nissanka 25*) vs West Indies.
