2nd Test: Nissanka Helps Sri Lanka Reach 250/8 As Rain Ends Day 3 Early

Pathum Nissanka kept the West Indies at bay, with Sri Lanka limping to the close at 250 for eight in reply to the home side's first-innings total of 354 on a rain-affected third day of the second

Resuming at the overnight position of 136 for three, Chandimal and Dhananjaya were immediately challenged by the consistent hostility of Gabriel.

Chandimal was lucky to escape when a diving Rahkeem Cornwall could not hold on to catch at first slip but the former captain's luck ran out when unsettled by a blow on the hand earlier in the over, he could not control a hook shot to a lifting delivery on the body and substitute fielder Hayden Walsh Jr completed the comfortable catch at deep square-leg to remove Chandimal for 44.

His fifth-wicket partnership with De Silva was worth 75 runs.

With the lunch interval beckoning West Indies had even greater cause for celebration when De Silva was adjudged leg-before for 39 to the first delivery of the morning bowled by Blackwood.

Although the batsman trudged off the field dejectedly, television replays of the dismissal confirmed that the decision would have been overturned had he opted for a DRS referral.

Holder removed Niroshan Dickwella to a catch behind while Suranga Lakmal gave Alzarri Joseph his second wicket of the innings via a simple catch to West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite at mid-on in a truncated afternoon period.

When Holder claimed his second wicket by extracting Dushmantha Chameera, the West Indies were doubly keen to push on from that position of 231 for eight to wrap up the innings before the end of play.

However, Nissanka's calm assurance, Embuldeniya's resistance, and, most importantly, the return of the rains, which resulted in only 42 overs being bowled in the day, left the West Indies with a job to finish on the penultimate morning.