Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne gave his team the lead with an unbeaten century in the first Test against the West Indies on Sunday, with debutant Jeremy Sologano being taken to hospital after suffering a helmet injury while fielding. Poor light forced the day’s play at Galle to end with two overs to spare and the hosts finished 267-3.
Karunaratne won the toss on a slow surface and batted for the day with a 139-run partnership for the first wicket with Pathum Nissenka. Part-time spinner Roston Chase got West Indies back in the game by dismissing Oshada Fernando and Angelo Mathews for three runs each. But Sri Lanka withdrew the initiative as Karunaratne put on a 97-run stand for the fourth wicket with Dhananjaya de Silva.
This was Karunaratne’s 13th and fourth Test century of the year. He has scored over 750 runs in 2021, including a career-best 244 against Bangladesh despite playing only 10 innings. West Indies were in fear when Karunaratne attempted a full pull shot off Chase and the ball hit the helmet grille of Sollozano, fielding at short leg. Medical staff treated him on the ground before being taken on a stretcher to an waiting ambulance.
West Indies said in a media release that he was scanned at a hospital in Colombo and would be kept under observation overnight. Shannon Gabriel provided the breakthrough for the tourists when they had Nissanka – chasing a full delivery outside off stump – caught by Rahkim Cornwall at first slip for 56. But he missed the opportunity to dismiss Karunaratne on 14, when Cornwall found the outside edge of the bat but Jermaine Blackwood could not catch it at slip as he attempted a one-handed catch.
West Indies were unsuccessfully reviewed after Karunaratne played an involuntary reverse sweep off Jomel Warrican’s conservative left-arm spin and the ball hit his front pad. Television replays showed that the impact was outside the off-stump. The tourists lost their second review due to a catch-back appeal against Nissenka off a chase ball.
He was denied a second wicket in the afternoon session when Warrican failed to return with Fernando on three. But the relief was brief, with Fernando taking his first wicket to the chase by a well-caught catch by Nkrumah Bonner at short leg. Mathews’ half-hour stay at the crease was unconstitutional and West Indies continued to attack with tight field settings.
To break the ties, Mathews attempted to cross the chase, but found lone fielder Jason Holder at mid-wicket. West Indies took the second new ball soon after 80 overs but could not break the Karunaratne-de Silva partnership. The tourists surprised fans by dropping their most experienced player and the eighth highest Test wicket-taker Kemar Roach.
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