Rangana Herath piled on the agony for the West Indies by removing both openers cheaply to leave the visitors struggling at 66-2 at stumps on the second day of the first Test Thursday, still 418 runs behind Sri Lanka.
After a record stand of 238 by Sri Lankan batsman Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal, veteran spinner Herath turned the screws on the West Indies by dismissing Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope in quick succession.
The 37-year-old, who has hinted he may retire next year, took a match-winning seven wickets against India in his last Test in Galle and he will be key to Sri Lanka’s prospects of notching up another victory in a match that forecasters say could be threatened by rain.
The visitors’ hopes of saving the match now lie in the hands of two of their most experienced batsmen, Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels, who were unbeaten at the close with 15 and seven respectively.
Brathwaite was the first to fall, trapped leg before wicket for 19 in Herath’s second over. He almost perished in Herath’s first over but made a successful review after umpire Richard Illingworth had ruled him lbw.
Hope had been enjoying himself against Sri Lanka’s new ball attack of Dhammika Prasad and Nuwan Pradeep whom he clouted for three boundaries in his opening over.