By Srian Obeyesekere
The first test match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand hung on a thread with the visitors chasing 275 for victory on 208 for 8 wickets at stumps that left both sides with a chance of a dramatic final day triumph following a high drama fourth penultimate day’s havoc by a wearing off surface that saw the New Zealand and Lankan spinners dictate to leaving the final outcome hovering either way like a pendulum yesterday at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.
If the spine chilling drum up left Sri Lanka two strikes away from a dramatic win, the end of the day story of New Zealand requiring a further 68 from a thin edge of a remaining two wickets that did give them victory hopes was the towering 91-run worth in the form of Rachin Ravindra whose 158-ball industrious innings inclusive of 9 boundaries and a six. The 24-year old’s effort was a lingering ray to making it in the cross fingered of either camp .
Indeed, turn on an uncertain dust spewing rough that saw New Zealand’s Ajax Patel revel in a 6 for 90 haul, the last five early on the penultimate day in wiping out Sri Lanka’s last six wickets for 72, hastened the game like a cannon ball in such a pendulum swing with the Lankan spin duo of Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis thereafter getting into the act to with the hosts just two strikes away from a great win.
As the Indian born New Zealand star stood tall on one end in that ultimate glint of hope to his side’s hopes, Jayasuriya, who had laboured on an unhelpful track in the, previous three days, lost no time in exploiting the waning turf in seeing the back of prize batsman Kate Williamson lured out stumped by Kusal Mendis for 30 in picking 3 for 66 from 29 overs.
Ramesh Mendis was a perfect cushion to adding Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner to his bag with Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva having first struck removing Tom Latham leg before wicket for 28, and seamer Asitha Fernando clean bowling Devon Conway for 4 as New Zealand precipitated to 96 for 4 after 23.3 overs.
It left Rachin Ravindra standing between victory and defeat, in an onus heavier on New Zealand as the game stands with Sri Lanka’s rearing spinners with their tails up for the final two wickets.
New Zealand 340 and 207 for 8 (Ravindra 91*, Jayasuriya 3-66, Ramesh Mendis 3-83) need another 68 runs to beat Sri Lanka 305 and 309 (Karunaratne 83, Chandimal 61, Ajaz 6-90)
