Sri Lanka Enjoyed the opening day of the second test against west indies Courtesy of a spectacular batting display at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua Lahiru Udara. After electing to bat first, the visitors recovered brilliantly from the early setbacks to post 338/5 at stumps in 90 overs. Although West Indies gained some momentum by scoring twice in the last half hour, Sri Lanka remained firmly in control of the game for most of the day through strong partnerships and disciplined batting.
After initial setbacks, Lahiru Udara’s career-best score took Sri Lanka to a strong score.
West Indies made an excellent start after being invited to bowl first. Shamar Joseph remove mark madushka And Dinesh Chandimal Within opening hours. Madushka sliced a cut shot straight to point, while Chandimal flicked one straight to square leg, taking Sri Lanka’s score to 25/2 on the green surface.
However, Udara responded with remarkable composure in only his second Test match. The 32-year-old opening batsman handled the initial movement with confidence before gradually changing gears when conditions became easier. Displaying excellent judgment outside the off stump and punishing anything loose, Udara put together a remarkable partnership of 215 runs. Kamindu MendisThis is the largest partnership ever for Sri Lanka in the Caribbean. Kamindu played a brilliant supporting role with 84 off 120 balls as the duo took complete control of the hosts.
After Kamindu’s dismissal through Shai Hope’s sharp stumping, Udara continued his brilliant innings with the captain Dhananjay de Silva. The pair added another valuable 93 runs for the fourth wicket, keeping Sri Lanka steadily moving towards a strong first innings score. Udara was eventually dismissed for a paltry score of 188 and narrowly missed his maiden Test double century after getting on top of a pull shot at deep fine leg at the end of the day.
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Late wicket fall gives West Indies a lot of relief at the end of the day
Despite being under pressure for a long time, West Indies did not let their intensity wane and eventually got their reward during the final session. Justin Greaves Hope provided the breakthrough by dismissing Kamindu after a brilliant wicketkeeping effort, while the bowlers tightened their lines during the closing stages.
jaden seals He then created another memorable moment by dismissing De Silva for 33 and taking his 100th Test wicket in the process. The milestone made Seales the second-fastest West Indies bowler to reach the landmark in terms of balls bowled, highlighting another impressive feat in his young Test career. Joseph was the standout bowler for the hosts, taking two early wickets and finishing with figures of 2/60, while Seales’ historic innings ensured that West Indies ended the day on a positive note after enduring a disappointing afternoon in the field.
Although Sri Lanka lost two well-set batsmen late on, their total of 338/5 leaves them in a commanding position on Day 2. De Silva departed before stumps but the lower order still contributed, with the visitors looking to go past the 400-run mark while West Indies will aim to wrap up the innings quickly and keep themselves firmly in the contest.
This is the first day’s stumps and Sri Lanka dominated the day’s proceedings. Lahiru Udara was the star of the show 🙏💥#WIvSL #srilankacricket pic.twitter.com/MtoxPS7Duq
– CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) 4th July 2026
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