West Indies smash Sri Lanka in Antigua mauling.Jangoo and Chase lead Caribbean kings to memorable innings and 217- run victory. BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE. (eLanka Sports Editor)
Sri Lanka were exposed for their mediocrity and vulnerability in Test cricket as the West Indies inflicted a comprehensive innings and 217- run thrashing of tourists in Antigua.
Batting first, Sri Lanka showed clear lack of temperament for a game format they discarded and seemingly lost touch with for a year as the batters struggled to adjust to the longer version except for Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva and veteran Dinesh Chandimal.
De Silva struck a fluent 120 and Chandimal 54 to shore up the innings to a reasonable 308 all out.
West Indies batters then went on a rampage smashing Sri Lanka’s bowlers to all parts as they powered their way to 626 for 9 declared.
What was amazing was last minute inclusion Amir Jangoo replacing injured Shai Hope, marched to the crease with cool calm precision and showed scant respect for Sri Lanka’s bowlers as he smashed a career high 233 off 373 balls.
Skipper Roston Chase who was undergoing a lean period with the bat, found timely form to join Jangoo, narrowly missing out on a double century falling victim to Sonal Dinusha for 194. Milan Rathnayake grabbed 5 for 124 in his futile lone effort including the important wicket of Jangoo.
Earlier, fast man Lahiru Kumara pulled up with a familiar hamstring strain after one over and was a passenger for the rest of the innings. His conditioning is crucial to his future in the game.
Jangoo joined skipper Roston Chase and together they engaged in a world record breaking sixth wicket partnership of 401 as the Windies produced a breathtaking run spree in Caribbean style and sealed Sri Lanka’s fate with a demoralising 300 plus lead before the declaration.
The shellshocked Sri Lankans were clearly out of the game with a score of 300 plus to negotiate before drawing parity. It was a task they were never allowed to achieve as West Indies bowlers ripped the batting apart and skittled them out for 101 to record an unforgettable victory.
The second innings debacle threw up questions around the strategy against an uphill task, or if there was one. The only logic that springs to mind was “anything you can do, we can too”, in one-day mindset? Well, if it was, it backfired badly.
It could also be the inability to deliver by the senior members such as Kusal and Kamindu Mendis and opener Pathum Nissanka whether by choice or lack of staying mindset.
The reality check saw only Chandimal 43 and Sonal Dinusha reaching double figures as Sri Lanka’s batters collapsed sensationally.
Sri Lanka’s second innings capitulation showed clear evidence of a team on a run- chase rather than consolidation as they folded in less than 32 overs with no apparent plan with their available resources on how to save the game.
But let’s not take credit away from West Indies bowlers and a clear game plan that brought Sri Lanka undone.
As much as Sri Lanka showed no fight, West Indies underlined their resurgence at cricket to the glory days when they dominated the world.
There’s something about their recent swagger in all formats that suggest they are on the cusp of being a feared force in the not too distant future if they haven’t already arrived.
It was a baptism of fire for Gary Kirstan, Sri Lanka’s new South African coach signalling much to do to build consistency and mental preparation among his charges In the different formats .
From a Sri Lankan perspective, staying away from Test cricket for monetary gain in the shorter versions can be reflected on as foolish as it is about allowing personal gain given precedence over a long period.
But hindsight also suggests that the hunger in the belly of players on the sidelines not considered good enough for the white ball game, has not diminished the aspirations of those available for the traditional game as De Silva and Chandimal showed.
Kirstan’s role going forward is obvious, work out the mental application of Sri Lanka’s batters who have a woeful record of inconsistency.
His predecessor Sanath Jayasuriya had no answer through his tenure,
so fixing the familiar pattern is key as it is concerning.
Sri Lanka go into the next game clear underdogs against a home team brimming with confidence.
Therefore, the mindset reversal will be paramount in turning things around as clearly as daylight suggests.
The tour so far saw Sri Lanka tske the one-dayers 1-0 while the Windies bounced back to win the T20 series 2-1.
The second Test in North Sound Antigua begins on July 5.
