Debutant Nishan Peiris starred with the ball in the second innings, finishing with 6 for 170 to go with his three wickets in the first essay. Prabhat Jayasuriya, who picked up six in the first innings, bagged three in the second. Sri Lanka will be buoyed too by the six-wicket haul achieved by debutant offspinner Nishan Peiris, even if he was expensive as New Zealand’s batters went hard at him. He finished with figures of 9 for 203 in the match, having taken 6 for 170 in the second dig.
Nishan Peiris dismissed each of the three half-centurions on day four. Blundell was out on the third over of the morning, when he missed a reverse sweep (he was trying his second one in a row, having nailed the first for four), and been struck in front of the stumps. Later, Phillips attempted to launch Nishan Peiris over the straight boundary, but found Dimuth Karunaratne at long on. After lunch, Nishan Peiris had Santner stumped when the batter had allowed his back foot to slide out of the crease – the last New Zealand wicket to fall.
Pitch and Toss
It is a hot and humid day and we have moved to pitch number 7. This is a drier pitch with less grass, there are a few spots which the spinners will look to exploit. And they will only increase with the fast bowlers leaving footmarks. 400-450 will be a good first innings score, key to make a good start.
Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya De Silva won the toss and chose to bat with 2 changes in his playing XI with Lahiru Kumara and Ramesh Mendis making way for debutant Nishan Peiris and Milan Rathnayake. New Zealand skipper Tim Southee asked to bowl first made no changes in the playing XI from the first test.
Day 1 : Dinesh Chandimal century sets up Sri Lanka’s perfect opening day in Galle
Dinesh Chandimal’s century (116) headlined Sri Lanka’s dominance against New Zealand on Day 1 of the second Test in Galle. Angelo Matthews (78*) and Kamindu Mendis (51*) notched up half-centuries while Dimuth Karunaratne (46) provided a handy contribution as Sri Lanka ended the first day on 306 for 3.
Sri Lanka had two partnerships over 50 runs after Karunaratne and Chandimal forged a 122-run partnership at the top. New Zealand managed to pick up only one wicket in each session of the day’s play, on a pitch which settled down after it appeared dry in the first session. The visitors were also sloppy in the field, dropping three catches off the bowling of William O’Rourke while Tom Blundell missed a stumping of Karunaratne in the first session.
The hosts continued post the Tea-break positively as Ajaz Patel was taken for a boundary each by Matthews and Chandimal. Offspinner Glenn Phillips cleaned up the centurion after Chandimal missed a heave across the line. This brought the in-form Kamindu Mendis to the crease, who clinched two boundaries off Southee to get his innings going.
New Zealand took the second new ball but the Sri Lankans continued to be positive, scoring regular boundaries. However, Daryl Mitchell dropped his second catch of the day, spilling Mendis at slip. Things got worse for the visitors as Tom Latham dropped Matthews two overs later. At the other end, left-handed Kamindu took down Ajaz for two boundaries and a six across two overs before he reverse-swept Mitchell Santner for four to bring up his fifty.
Earlier during the day, Pathum Nissanka fell cheaply as he played early on to the new ball and was caught behind. However, Chandimal and Karunaratne brought up the 100-run stand in the first session. Karunaratne was run-out for 46 after being sold by the river by Chandimal soon after Lunch. But the latter excelled in the afternoon session as he brought up his 16th Test century. Angelo Matthews survived a caught behind call as O’Rourke had overstepped.
Day 2 : Record-breaking Kamindu Mendis puts Sri Lanka in command
Kamindu Mendis became the fastest Asian batter to get to 1000 Test runs en route a career-best 182* – his fifth Test ton in eight games – as Sri Lanka’s batters ran New Zealand ragged on the second day at Galle. Kusal Mendis became the third centurion in the innings as Sri Lanka racked up a massive 602/5 before declaring in the final session.
The Mendis duo added 200 runs for the sixth wicket before Dhananjaya de Silva called them in soon after Kamindu got to his 1000th run. Getting there in just 13 innings put him alongside Don Bradman as the joint second-quickest to the feat. (Everton Weekes and Herbert Sutcliffe had got there an innings earlier). Joining an elite club aside, Kamindu got his highest Test score of 182 which pushed Sri Lanka to a position of dominance.
Right through the innings, Kamindu had good support at the other end. He put on 127 with Angelo Mathews, 74 with Dhananjaya de Silva before the double hundred stand with Kusal. The wicket-keeper batter also registered his 10th Test ton to cap off a dominant batting display from Sri Lanka.
New Zealand managed to pick two wickets in the first session with both Mathews and De Silva falling to the sweep against Glenn Phillips. But thereafter, even as the pitch began to take some turn, Kamindu and Kusal took control. Against a tiring attack, Kusal’s bravado hit the right tempo right away.
Whenever there was a chance for a loft, Kamindu took it cleanly hitting four sixes in the process and the confidence began to rub off on his partner. Kusal brought up his fifty going 4,6,4 against Phillips toying with the offie’s lengths.
This was in contrast to how Kamindu had started the day after the early departure of Mathews. He was circumspect in the partnership with De Silva, who on the other hand got off the blocks quickly. A loft off Phillips for six signaled De Silva’s intentions early while the sweep was an ally in multiple boundaries along the way, even encouraging Kamindu to bring out a reverse sweep at one point. But just as the duo were beginning to assert their position, De Silva became Phillips’ second wicket of the session.
Kamindu brought up his fifth Test ton, in just his eighth match, after the break but soon had a few close shouts and also survived a review for LBW, a missed stumping chance and then overturned a caught call as the spinners began to get some purchase off the surface. But with Sri Lanka in a strong position already, he and Kusal began to revert the pressure towards the spinners.
Phillips, who had remained a constant presence right through the first session, getting appreciable drift on occasions to beat the right-hander, was also put to the sword by the duo later with little to no threat thereafter.
It was in sharp contrast to the purchase that Sri Lanka’s spinners managed when they got their chance, managing to kick up puffs of dust from the surface before Prabhat Jayasuriya had Devon Conway caught at slip. Already pegged back by the dismissal of Tom Latham – who poked and edged Asitha Fernando – New Zealand were left in dire straits by the end of the day.
Day 3 : Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris run riot leaving NZ staring down the barrel on Day 3
On an action-packed day, Sri Lanka picked up 13 wickets on Day 3 of the second Test match in Galle against New Zealand. Prabhat Jayasuriya spun a web around the visitors again as he picked up six wickets in the first innings, and New Zealand was bowled out for 88. Nishan Peiris picked up three apiece in both innings on debut as the visitors ended the day’s play at 199 for 5 while following on.
Stumps were called early on the day due to bad light followed by rain which caused the whole ground to be under cover. Only 10 overs of play was possible in the third session which remained wicketless, an anomaly during the rest of the day’s play. Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips were aggressive against Nishan Peiris, scoring four sixes and a four against him as the two batters remain unbeaten together in a 78-run stand.
New Zealand began the day at 22 for 2 in their first innings. But, Jayasuriya and Nishan Peiris were straight into action. The former scalped Kane Williamson who lunged forward and got him to edge to slip. Rachin Ravindra tried to steady the innings with Ajaz Patel at the other end but his outing was cut short bowled for 10 after missing a paddle, becoming Nishan Peiris’s maiden Test scalp. Daryl Mitchell began to counterattack, striking a four and a six off Jayasuriya but New Zealand soon slipped to 52 for 5 as Ajaz was trapped in front by Nishan Peiris.
Things went from bad to worse for New Zealand as Jayasuriya had Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips both caught at slip a few overs later. Mitchell Santner top-scored with 29 scoring few boundaries and notching up the highest partnership of the innings of 20 runs with William O’Rourke for the final wicket.
Sri Lanka enforced the follow-on immediately with a lead of 514 runs. The downward spiral continued for the tourists as Tom Latham fell in the first over to Peiris, with Lunch on the horizon. Sri Lanka lost nine wickets in the first session.
Post the Lunch break, Devon Conway and Williamson brought up a 97-run stand as the former started a counterattack with a string of boundaries. Williamson also scored boundaries from time to time as the pair raised a half-century stand in quick time. Conway reached his fifty off only 48 balls, getting there with a cover drive for a four off Milan Rathnayake, and also got an lbw decision overturned.
Conway was caught on 61 by Dinesh Chandimal who ran back from cover to complete a well-judged catch. Williamson got out to Peiris soon after, miscuing the ball to long-on after coming down the track, as he departed for 46. Daryl Mitchell then handed a catch to short-leg off Jayasuriya and Rachin Ravindra was bowled off Peiris as New Zealand slipped to 129 for 5 at the Tea break before the Blundell-Phillips resistance.
Day 4 : Debutant Nishan Peiris and Prabhat Jayasuriya crush New Zealand by an innings to hand Sri Lanka series sweep 2-0
Fighting half-centuries from Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner highlighted New Zealand’s improved batting show on Day 4 but the knocks weren’t enough to prevent Sri Lanka from sealing a comprehensive innings and 154-run victory in the second Test in Galle.
After folding for only 88 in their first innings, New Zealand were asked to follow on and fared far better but their total of 360 all-out still gave Sri Lanka a resounding win as they sealed the series 2-0. With this win, the Lankans have also moved to third on the WTC points table and have a realistic shot at making the final next year.
Debutant Nishan Peiris starred with the ball in the second innings, finishing with 6 for 170 to go with his three wickets in the first essay. Prabhat Jayasuriya, who picked up six in the first innings, bagged three in the second.
Blundell went past 50 early in the day after New Zealand resumed on 199/5. Blundell and Phillips extended their partnership to 95 before Peiris struck for the fourth time in the innings. Blundell missed a reverse sweep and was out lbw for a brisk 60, which included 6 fours and 2 sixes. Phillips and Santner then batted positively, dealing in regular boundaries as the wicketkeeper-batter reached his fifty. Phillips also cleared the fence off Dhananjaya de Silva as the seventh wicket partnership extended past 50.
Phillips, however, got carried away and went for one shot too many, ending up handing a catch to long-on to give Peiris his fifth wicket. Tim Southee came out with a positive intent, striking a four and a six off Jayasuriya before getting bowled by the left-arm spinner.
Ajaz Patel was dropped in the slip cordon off Peiris soon after which Santner hit a four and a six in an over twice off the offspinner. Ajaz took on Jayasuriya and the bowler was unlucky not to bag the wicket of Santner who was dropped at deep backward square leg. They extended their partnership to 44, having struck six fours and three sixes between them, as they went into Lunch unbeaten.
The partnership crossed 50 and Santner also registered a well-made fifty soon after the lunch break. Ajaz was also put down by Dhananjaya at slip before his stay, and a 53-run stand that lasted for 84 deliveries, finally ended when he was bowled by Jayasuriya attempting a cut. Santner struck a couple of more boundaries and also a six off Peiris before he became the debutant’s sixth scalp, stumped for 67, to bring a close to the innings and the match.
Before Sri Lanka’s spinners came to the party, the batters did well for the hosts in the first innings. Dinesh Chandimal (116), Kamindu Mendis (182*) and Kusal Mendis (106*) struck hundreds while Angelo Mathews scored 88 to power Sri Lanka to a massive total of 602/5 declared. That total proved beyond New Zealand’s reach despite two batting attempts, as the series ended on a disappointing note for the visitors.
New Zealand battled on day four, with overnight batters Glenn Phillips, and Tom Blundell completing half centuries, before Mitchell Santner struck 67, batting partly in the company of the tail. But this fight only served to throw into relief their abysmal 88 in the first innings, rather than provide any serious hope of avoiding even an innings defeat.
In the end, having played out 40.4 overs on day four, they lost their final wicket – Santner – still 154 runs behind Sri Lanka. The hosts had only batted once.
For Sri Lanka, it was their third Test win in a row. With four matches to go in their World Test Championship cycle, they are now in the hunt for one of those final two spots, though they must hope for other results to go their way too, to have a better chance. Sri Lanka will be buoyed too by the six-wicket haul achieved by debutant offspinner Nishan Peiris, even if he was expensive as New Zealand’s batters went hard at him. He finished with figures of 9 for 203 in the match, having taken 6 for 170 in the second dig.
Peiris dismissed each of the three half-centurions on day four. Blundell was out on the third over of the morning, when he missed a reverse sweep (he was trying his second one in a row, having nailed the first for four), and been struck in front of the stumps. Later, Phillips attempted to launch Peiris over the straight boundary, but found Dimuth Karunaratne at long on. After lunch, Peiris had Santner stumped when the batter had allowed his back foot to slide out of the crease – the last New Zealand wicket to fall.
In between, Prabhat Jayasuriya had bowled both Tim Southee and Ajaz Patel, the latter with a vicious one that leapt back at Ajaz from the rough. He himself finished with 9 for 181 from the game.
Phillips and Santner were New Zealand’s best day four batters, however. Phillips’ main strategy was to get on the back foot as often as possible, and play off the surface. This frequently worked – allowing him to pounce on even slightly short deliveries, while forcing bowlers to go fuller to him, presenting scoring opportunities down the ground. He completed his fifty off 66 balls, and would go on to be involved in a 64-run seventh-wicket stand with Santner, to follow the 95-run stand he’d shared with Blundell.
Santner, meanwhile, was not quite as proactive as Phillips, but found the offside productive. Occasionally, he would dance down the track and look to hit Peiris in particular down the ground. He collected two sixes and a four this way, and completed his half century soon after lunch, off the 97th ball he faced. He was out off the third delivery Sri Lanka bowled with their second new ball.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Dhananjaya De Silva the winning skipper said : (On winning tosses) Maybe luck! And I called and tossed well. Chandimal gives us a balanced side and Kamindu can play the long innings. It was brilliant. (On Jayasuriya and Peiris) The way they bowled the long spells was brilliant to see. (On fielding) We have been practicing hard, and we have been catching a lot. It has paid off.
Tim Southee the losing skipper said : Very tough, on the wrong side of a tough one. But this is a tough place to come. I think in this match it was a lot harder, but in the first game we could have pushed on a bit harder. Need to go home, regroup and go again. India is very similar to this part of the world.
Kamindu Mendis Player of the Match for his century said : I’m enjoying scoring runs, specially since Galle is my hometown. I think I did well and credit goes to Kusal and Chandimal as well. I think I had the same mindset and some small changes to the way I batted in England, made some tweaks while playing spin. It is a great pleasure to score 1000 runs so quickly, but we have to improve day by day. There are upcoming tours and ODIs and T20s as well, want to keep doing well.
Prabhat Jayasuriya Player of the series said : I’m not a records man. (On Peiris) He is very good, he bowled consistently at one line and length. Very positive for him. This was a bit harder than the previous Test. When the ball gets soft, the wicket gets softer. We just trying to do our basics and no need for us to panic. Just need to bowl wicket to wicket and create pressure on them.
Sri Lanka win the series 2-0. Deserved too for they were the better side especially in this game. Batting first after winning the toss, Sri Lanka made a huge score as they put on 602 with Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis and Chandimal making hundreds. Kamindu continued his dream run as he reached 1000 runs in just his 13th innings joining an elite list. In reply to that big score, New Zealand had no answers as they capitulated to 88 all-out in the first innings.
Some panic batting and good bowling caused this. Jayasuriya notched up another fifer and Nishan Peiris complemented him nicely. Sri Lanka had no hesitation in enforcing the follow-on and a much better show from New Zealand in the second innings as Conway showed the way with an aggressive knock.
Again a clutch of wickets followed but Phillips and Blundell strung together another stand. Rain and bad light brought an early end to the day’s play yesterday. Coming into today, New Zealand resisted well with Santner making a fifty and pushing the game into the second session but Sri Lanka finished off the job. Nishan Peiris was the star in this innings with a six-fer.
So DdS collects the trophy and his team-mates join in the celebration. Beaming smiles all across as they have totally outplayed the opposition in this Test match, and across the series. They have a little break now before they prepare for an away series against South Africa. For New Zealand, it ain’t getting any easier because a three match Test series away to India is next on the horizon.