That was a pretty good Test match all around. The balance shifted from day to day, and perhaps the draw was the best result for both teams, although I think the West Indies could have tried to be a bit more aggressive with their batting in the first session. It would have made things a bit interesting if we needed 140 to make in the final session. That's a rate of 4 over the 35 overs, which would have been gettable. It's rapid for a Test match, but in one session that's not unheard of.
Read somewhere an idiot saying WI can chase down the target, well no miracles today!
I would be that idiot.
But as it stands, I'm satisfied with the result. Sri Lanka bowled very well, there was very little bad balls for the batsmen. They were troubled from time to time, but maybe not as often as Sri Lanka would have really wanted. Lakmal bowled superbly without reward, Chameera had genuine pace, but it was Fernando who I was most impressed with. He looked the most threatening of the three, and that's saying something considering how well the other two were going. It definitely took patient batting from the West Indies, and the mental strength to keep the big shots in check for the most part.
Mayers batted well for his fifty before getting out to a poor shot. Just after tea, that wasn't the sort of thing he should have been doing. But well-played to him. He'll still have that double hundred preceding him everytime he walks out to bat, but at least he's showing that he's capable of getting scores on a consistent basis. Bonner finally getting to his first Test century was just rewards for a man who's been around the team for so many years now without getting picked. (I say finally because even though this was only his sixth innings, he's been with the team for a long time. Always being selected in the overall squad without making the XI until Bangladesh.)
Brathwaite would be very unhappy by the way he got out in both innings. Two uncharacteristic shots from him, the second one looked terrible. He advanced and seemed ready to play the lofted drive before at the last minute deciding to defend. Through the gate, and bowled. Would have probably been stumped otherwise. Not good. Blackwood...well, he just got a great ball. But just like the first innings, it was another of those you-miss-I-hit deliveries. Even without the inside edge (both times) the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps anyways. I'm very disappointed in him, because in England and New Zealand he was showing the more patient side of his game. And today, when patience was most needed, he gave it away. I almost wouldn't have minded if he was out to the same ball both times but playing defensively instead of the aggression he showed.
All to play for in the next match. I think the West Indies have a bit of thinking to do in terms of a couple of players. Sri Lanka really don't need to change a thing.
Which team would be happier with the draw? Hard to tell. Sri Lanka had 4 sessions to bowl the West Indies out and couldn't, despite bowling well. Admittedly the West Indies never really seemed to go for the win. A bit more aggression from them while batting and chances would definitely have come Sri Lanka's way. What the visitors would be happy with is the way their batsmen fought their way back into the game after a poor first innings. Nissanka, Dickwella, Fernando all batted excellently in the second innings, with a contribution from de Silva I think. Their bowlers, Chameera, the other Fernando, and Lakmal did a very good job. I think one of them bowled as much as 50 overs in the entire match, that's a hell of a workload. On the other hand, the home team would have wanted to have Shannon Gabriel more in rhythm and Joseph being more than just a way to get the ball to the other end six times in a row. But they themselves would be happy with the bowling performances of Roach and Holder, and the batting of the newer guys in the team such as Bonner, Mayers, da Silva, Cornwall. So who'd be happier? Probably Sri Lanka.
The teams aside, I think the umpiring was great, at least from what I saw. With the use of a totally home umpiring team, it's good to see that Greg Brathwaite (no relation to Kraigg...or
Carlos, for that matter) did well in his first Test. He's been around a really long time locally and has done quite a few limited overs fixtures, and is one of the better umpires we have around, so I'm glad for him. I also think that the pitch played pretty okay. For a square that has been in use since the start of the year, it's holding up excellently. Just one final match to go.
All to play for in the next one.
