Sri Lanka will be kicking themselves for failing to win the Test series in the Caribbean and collect valuable World Test Championship points. No opponent is a walk in the park in international cricket, but even the players themselves would admit that this was one series they were expected to win comfortably. The defeat will hurt. It was Sri Lanka’s first Test series loss to the West Indies in 23 years.
The West Indies planned superbly. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, were found wanting and were caught napping.
Recognizing that pace was their greatest strength, the hosts packed their side with fast bowlers. To Sri Lanka’s credit, the batters responded well, posting more than 300 in the first innings after being sent in on a green top. The turning point, however, was Lahiru Kumara limping off after just one over. Sri Lanka never recovered.
Kumara is a genuine match-winner when fully fit, but given his lengthy history of injuries, he should never have been picked without first proving his fitness. Time and again he has broken down, and once again Sri Lanka paid a heavy price. Clearly, the selectors had not done enough homework.
Another worrying aspect was that none of Sri Lanka’s quicks could match the pace of their West Indian counterparts. Asitha Fernando’s rise has been remarkable, but he lacked his usual zip and posed little threat. Perhaps Kumara’s early exit left him overworked.
The batting collapse in the second innings was a bitter pill to swallow, but after spending six sessions in the field, the wheels inevitably began to come off.
This was only the fifth West Indies win in 26 Tests between the two nations, with Sri Lanka still leading the overall head-to-head with 11 victories.
Once they had secured a 1-0 lead, the West Indies were more than happy to prepare a batting friendly surface for the second Test in Antigua, ensuring a high scoring draw and a series triumph.
The warning signs had been there. Sri Lanka looked underprepared for Test cricket when they suffered an unexpected defeat in the warm-up match, another batting collapse exposing familiar flaws. The fact that the team had not played a Test for exactly a year hardly helped.
For a nation that fought tooth and nail to earn Test status, it is disappointing to see Sri Lanka placing so little emphasis on the longest format. We play the fewest Tests among the Full Member nations. This is not a long-standing problem but a trend that has developed in recent years and it needs to be arrested before lasting damage is done.
There were positives nonetheless. Young Sonal Dinusha was the standout performer. His domestic performances had earned him a well-deserved Test cap, but until this tour he had not been able to showcase his full potential. In the Caribbean he excelled with both bat and ball and the upcoming home series against India promises to be another fascinating examination of his talent.
Opening batter Lahiru Udara also rewrote the record books, registering the highest individual score by a Sri Lankan in the Caribbean. He had to wait patiently for his opportunity, but now that it has arrived, he is making every moment count.
