(ESPNCRICINFO) – After 1408 runs and 28 wickets, and even some rain delays over five days, the result that had long been telegraphed finally came to pass as Sri Lanka and West Indies played out a draw in the second and final Test in North Sound. The stalemate means it was a first Test series victory in 11 attempts for West Indies, their last coming in 2023 and for their last home Test series win you would have to go back to June 2022.
And it was perhaps the significance – and rarity – of this achievement that informed the hosts’ approach over the course of this Test, which is also the first in 2026 to end in a draw. Following Sri Lanka’s imposing first-innings effort, West Indies’ response – on a good batting surface – never really appeared to be in search of a victory.
Set a target of 302, John Campbell and Brandon King never threatened to take it on, but even so both scoring fifties – Campbell for the second time this Test – will have given the pair and the West Indian dressing room cause for optimism after their recent batting travails in the longest format.
Moreover, with World Test Championship points of less importance, having already been eliminated from contention for a final berth, the series win was all that mattered to the hosts. And in that context, it was incumbent on Sri Lanka to do the most of the running, though on a true surface that scarcely deteriorated over the course of the Test, the visiting bowlers were always facing an uphill challenge in picking up 20 wickets to win the game and level the series.
Even so, they came out on the final morning with a belief – however implausible – that they might be able to manifest a miracle. The first part of the plan was quick runs, and in that they excelled. Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis were the overnight pair, and it was clear from the outset that they would look to take on the bowling.
West Indies, however, weren’t in any mood to make it easy, as they stuck to defensive fields and lines – stacking a 2-7 field to the seamers, while the spinners lived on leg-stump lines. Despite this, Sri Lanka galloped along at a scoring rate of 5.79 in the session, one where they struck 139 runs in 24 overs.
The risks they were forced to take also meant that six wickets fell in the first two hours of play – comfortably the most to fall in a single session all Test. But a closer look at each and it was clear why Sri Lanka were not totally at ease with a lunch-time declaration.
Kamindu spliced a top edge looking to crash an off-side length ball from Seales, Dhananjaya de Silva holed out to long-off, while both Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis carved chances straight to gully. Sonal Dinusha, meanwhile, was run out courtesy a direct hit from deep point as he strained to make it back for an ambitious second run, while Isitha Wijesundara missed a wild heave.
After days of obdurate Test cricket, this period resembled the later overs of an ODI, as Sri Lanka scrambled desperately for every run on offer, but it was more batter errors than any demons in the surface.
At lunch, the lead had swelled to 281 and many speculated an imminent declaration, but Sri Lanka made the surprise call to continue batting. The target, it seems, was a lead of at least 300, and this was achieved in three overs after lunch, after which the declaration was promptly signalled.