The action moves to the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua, for the second and final Test, with the hosts firmly in the driver’s seat. West Indies completely dismantled Sri Lanka in the series opener, clinching a massive victory by an innings and 217 runs.
 |
| Image Credits: News Bytes |
That opening clash was defined by a historic,
record-breaking 401-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Roston Chase
(194) and Amir Jangoo, who converted his maiden Test century into a spectacular
233. Backed by veteran paceman Kemar Roach, who celebrated his 300th Test
wicket, and the lethal young speedster Shamar Joseph, the Windies' bowling unit
proved too hot for the visitors to handle, rolling them over for just 101 in
the second innings.
For Dhananjaya de Silva’s Sri Lanka, this second Test match
is a crucial battle for redemption and World Test Championship relevance. While
the skipper fought hard with a lone first-innings century (120), the rest of
the batting lineup completely crumbled. Heading into Antigua, the visitors must
dramatically fix their batting application against high-quality pace if they
want to square the series and salvage vital WTC points.
