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Dunedin, Dec 11: Dinesh Chandimal (83 batting 208b, 9×4) and Dimuth Karunaratne (84, 198b, 7×4) spearheaded a gritty Sri Lanka fightback on the second day of the first Test against New Zealand here Friday.
They came together with the tourists looking fragile at 29 for two and put on 122 for the third wicket in reply to New Zealand’s first innings 431. At stumps, Sri Lanka were 197 for four with Kithuruwan Vithanage (10 batting) giving company to Chandimal.
After the New Zealand innings wrapped up early Friday, the outlook for Sri Lanka darkened when Test novices Kusal Mendis and Udara Jayasundera fell cheaply, both caught behind by BJ Watling. Mendis fell to Trent Boult while Jayasundera was dismissed by Neil Wagner. Jayasundera was Watling’s 100th victim behind the stumps.
But Karunaratne and Chandimal stepped up, curtailing their attacking instincts. They delicately negotiated their way to bring up the 100 in the 45th over just before tea. As the pitch flattened in the final session, Sri Lanka upped the tempo and cracked 48 in 13 overs before left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner made the breakthrough.
Karunaratne, a century-maker against New Zealand a year ago, had played patiently for 198 balls before he slashed at an away-drifting delivery and gave Watling his third catch.
Skipper Angelo Mathews only made two before he added to Watling’s collection and gave Tim Southee a 27th birthday present with the finest of edges to a bullet heading down leg side.
Umpire Nigel Llong said not out but a New Zealand appeal showed the faint edge picked up by the ‘Hotspot’ technology and Sri Lanka were four down for 156.
Vithanage had a life five overs before stumps when he drove Doug Bracewell hard at Kane Williamson at short cover and was dropped.
Brief scores: New Zealand 431; Sri Lanka 197 for 4 (Dinesh Chandimal 83 batting, Dimuth Karunaratne 84). Match to continue.
