West Indies 58/1 on Day 2 in 550-run chase:Sri Lanka declare at 549/9 in 2nd Test; respective fifties for Mendis Dinusha

Sri Lanka made a strong start against West Indies in the second Test. The team declared their first innings at 549/9 in Antigua. In response, West Indies scored 58 runs for one wicket until the end of play on the second day. The team is currently 491 runs behind Sri Lanka. Openers John Campbell (31 runs) and Kavem Hodge (6 runs) returned unbeaten. Sri Lanka started playing from 338/5. The team did not lose any wicket in the first session of the day. They had crossed the 500-run mark by tea-break. They declared the innings in the third session after Kusal Mendis and Sonal Dinusha’s half centuries. Century partnership between Mendis and Dinusha Kusal Mendis continued his innings from zero and Sonal Dinusha from 5 runs. After lunch, Kusal Mendis scored runs quickly against Jayden Seales and Alzarri Joseph. He shared a 143-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Dinusha in 246 balls. This partnership was broken by Anderson Phillip, who bowled Mendis as the Sri Lankan batters was attempting a scoop shot. Part-time spinner Hodge got Dinusha caught out After Mendis’s dismissal, Sonal Dinusha and Milan Rathnayake added 36 runs. Then captain Roston Chase handed the ball to part-time spinner Kavem Hodge. Dinusha hit fours on his first two balls, but was caught at cover on the third ball, getting out for 92 runs. He fell 8 runs short of his maiden Test century. West Indies’ fielding remained weak on the second day as well. John Campbell dropped an easy catch of Kusal Mendis at slip, which Mendis fully capitalized on. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka also dropped three catches. Isitha Wijesundara dropped John Campbell’s catch, while Sonal Dinusha and Lahiru Udara dropped one catch each of Kavem Hodge.