WI vs SL: Buoyant West Indies Out To Deepen Sri Lanka's Woes In Two-Test Series

Sri Lankan cricket’s woes of the past 12 months could be extended for at least another fortnight unless the visitors can rise to the challenge of a buoyant West Indies team in the two-Test series st

In the last Test played at the venue, also in 2019, it was the array of Indian pacers who ruthlessly exploited the helpful conditions at the expense of hapless home batsmen.

Sri Lanka’s lone success so far in this campaign - the second fixture of the T20I series - broke a losing streak going back to the home T20I contest with the same West Indian opponents in March of 2020, just before the global pandemic essentially shut down the international game for three months.

However subsequent losses in the two white-ball formats mean the sub-continental nation has lost 11 of their last 12 international matches.

That includes a run of four Test match defeats in a row, two each to South Africa and England. It hardly bodes well for the upcoming series, especially with the batsmen again struggling in the two-day warm-up match against a West Indies President’s XI.

Despite featuring nine batsmen in their line-up in the first innings they were still dismissed for 172.

Topscorer there was Oshada Fernando and while the relative newcomer will have the opportunity to show his worth across the two Tests, it will be captain Karunaratne, veteran opening partner Lahiru Thirimanne and former skipper Dinesh Chandimal who will be looked to as key providers of the solid foundation the Sri Lankans so desperately need in attempting to post formidable totals.