Saint John’s [Antigua and Barbuda], June 29 (ANI): Kemar Roach claimed his 300th Test wicket as Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph, and Alzarri Joseph produced incisive spells to dismantle Sri Lanka for just 101, sealing a dominant innings-and-217-run victory for the West Indies.
They have taken a 1-0 lead. Sri Lanka were not meant to be pushovers, but they have been swatted aside by this West Indian line-up. This is Roston Chase’s first win as Test captain.
Gaining far more movement in the air and off the pitch than Sri Lanka’s quicks, West Indies’ fast bowlers remained a constant wicket threat through 27.2 overs on day four.
Roach, in particular, was the most dangerous, generating significant late inswing to right-handers that repeatedly threatened pads and stumps, while also drawing the outside edges of left-handers with the ball shaping late in its trajectory.
Roach’s 300th wicket came as the ninth dismissal of Sri Lanka’s innings, when Asitha Fernando had his stumps shattered by a full delivery angled in from wide of the crease.
He was immediately mobbed by his teammates, who appeared even more delighted by the milestone than Roach himself, before being presented with a West Indies Test shirt marked “300” in celebration.
He is the first West Indies bowler to reach the landmark since Curtly Ambrose, with only Courtney Walsh, Ambrose, and Malcolm Marshall having taken more Test wickets for the West Indies.
Sri Lanka were woeful with the bat, appearing drained after spending 160.5 overs in the field across days two and three. Dinesh Chandimal offered the only meaningful resistance, facing 60 balls for his 43, while none of the top six reached double figures.
Several batters were trapped in front by sharp inward movement, others edged deliveries that shaped away, and both Kamindu Mendis and Kusal Mendis had their off stumps disturbed after leaving the ball. West Indies, by contrast, bowled with relentless accuracy and discipline, rarely erring in line or length.
Sri Lanka’s few boundaries largely came from fuller deliveries when the bowlers occasionally overpitched in search of swing.
After Roach opened the wicket-taking in the first over by swinging one into Nishan Madushka’s pads, Jayden Seales struck in his own first over, drawing a thick edge from nightwatchman Kasun Rajitha to the cordon.
Shamar Joseph then ripped through the middle order with a double blow, knocking back Kamindu Mendis’ off stump as he shouldered arms before trapping Dhananjaya de Silva lbw. Late in the session, Alzarri Joseph also joined the attack, similarly dismissing Kusal Mendis, first beating him with movement away, then jagging one back in to crash into his stumps after the batter left it.
Sri Lanka reached lunch at 81 for 6, but West Indies needed only 6.1 further overs to wrap up the remaining wickets. Roach struck twice in quick succession to bring up his 300th Test wicket, and after some heated exchanges with Lahiru Kumara and Sonal Dinusha, Jayden Seales claimed the final dismissal to seal a comprehensive victory.
West Indies controlled the Test from start to finish. Their dominance on days three and four was so overwhelming that they completely outclassed a Sri Lanka side widely expected to offer far stronger resistance. (ANI)
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