Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Hope you've enjoyed our coverage right through the five days. Patches of controversy, some excellent cricket otherwise. Pity the weather didn't hold off for us to veer towards a natural conclusion, but that notwithstanding, this has been an intense Test. Would love to have your company for the historic Day-Night Test in Barbados from June 24. Until then, this is Shashank Kishore and Akshay Gopalakrishnan signing off. Don't forget to check out Andrew Fidel Fernando's match bulletin that should be updated very soon. Promises to be quite busy. Expect a verdict from the ICC on Dinesh Chandimal shortly too. Cheers!

Time for the presentation

Jason Holder: Happy, we played reasonable cricket, probably not at our best. We weren't as consistent and disciplined as we should've been. They played well. All in all, a decent effort, I thought we were more clinical in Trinidad. Getting wickets off no-balls is a concern, something we need to pay attention to. It hasn't gone unnoticed.

Man of the Match Shannon Gabriel: It's a great feeling (100 wickets). If someone told me 'Shannon, you'll play Tests and take 100 wickets, I would've told him you're crazy!" I'd like to thank family and friends for supporting me. I was prepared well for this series, getting myself fit. As long as you get wickets, pains and aches go away. I was supported well by Kemar, he was unlucky. Miguel Cummins kept coming at the batsmen. Holder was also very good. We can take plenty of positives from this Test.

Dinesh Chandimal: I'm really happy with the way we played through the five days. Weather permitting, there was a chance, but pleased overall. Credit to the West Indies bowling attack, they've got some good bowlers. It's hard to score big runs under these conditions. We have to improve a little more. We went in with Akila Dananjaya this game, it was a tactical call. Rangana is a legend. I thought Akila bowled well. Credit also to Gabriel, his hard work has paid off.

That's the end of that. Game called off. Match drawn. West Indies will go into their historic Day-Night Test at Bridgetown with a 1-0 lead. No prizes for guessing who the Player of the Match is: Shannon Gabiel. , whose 13 for 121 is the third-best by a West Indies fast bowler in their storied history.

5.35pm The main square remains wrapped under covers. There's drizzle too. A resumption looking increasingly unlikely. Expect a decision anytime now.

Divy: "Full circle for Lankans in this test. First they didn't want to take the pitch, now they leave it grudgingly. Not a good sight for any team. "

Aditya: "Still don't understand all the comments asking the Windies to go for it. A hard fought draw like this one is not something the ICC should be trying to prevent. The issue of draws was the boring ones on flat pitches where scores were around 600+ each innings."

5.10pm Aleem Dar has a long chat with Chandimal. Sri Lankans don't want to walk off. They are now walking off eventually. Don't see how the light can improve from here. If at all, it can only get darker.

5.07pm It's getting murky. Decision coming very soon. Umpires aren't too satisfied with the light. Chandimal shakes his head. The batsmen have walked off the field, even as the Sri Lankans stay put near the crease. Chandimal walks up to the umpires to ask for the reading, he doesn't seem too pleased. But there isn't much he can do.

Right, time for the final half hour of the day. Good time to bowl, really and Shannon Gabriel is going through his stretches. He was remarkable in the first innings and he'll fancy repeating that now. Are Kusal Perera and Mahela Udawatte ready to face the heat?

Rivlud: "How many wickets is that for Kumara in the series? Who's the leading wicket taker in this series? Such enthralling cricket to watch, don't know what's going to happen! Dowrich Century in the 1st and Chandimal century in the 2nd both not out's as well!" --- He's top of the tree with 11. Gabriel has nine

5.15 pm So West Indies have a lead of 47. They had a couple of fifties - Smith and Dowrich both wouldn't be too happy to go back for 61 and 55. Sri Lanka would be though. Their fast bowlers have kept the pressure on beautifully on a pitch that's afforded sideways movement. Kumara ends with the most wickets, 4 for 86 for his fiery display. So after a morning session when Sri Lanka were smack dab in the centre of a ball-tampering controversy, they walk off with a good chance of taking the upper hand in this Test.

Rakesh: "241/4 off 80.3 overs were the WI when chase fell and since then the WI have eked out 59 runs off 20 overs @ 2.95. A poor effort by any standards both runs wise and balls wise. Someone should have shouldered the responsibility, the best being Holder and should have played some attacking cricket to add some valuable runs. This approach was flawed and did not give the WI even half decent returns. Runs is what they needed and time is what they played. Flawed, Totally flawed approach." ---- It is a tiny bit difficult when the opposition bowls to a plan and keeps getting the ball - even an old one - to jag around.

100.3
W
Kumara to Gabriel, OUT, sensational catch by first slip running back. It's a top-edge as Gabriel looks to pull a short ball outside off. De Silva tracks it down superbly, even accounting for the wind - a really strong wind in Gros Islet - as he dives to his right to hold on and end the innings

ST Gabriel c de Silva b Kumara 3 (8b 0x4 0x6) SR: 37.50

100.2
2
Kumara to Gabriel, 2 runs, slogs a fuller delivery on middle and leg out to deep square leg, mostly off the inside edge, to bring up the 300.
100.1
0
Kumara to Gabriel, no run, pulls a short ball on middle and leg to midwicket

END OF OVER:
100 | 6 Runs | WI: 298/9

  • Shannon Gabriel1 (5b)
  • Miguel Cummins8 (20b)
  • Suranga Lakmal24-6-50-2
  • Lahiru Kumara26-4-84-3

Navinash: "Sensing some short ball stuff towards Gabriel!"

99.6
1
Lakmal to Gabriel, 1 run, takes the pace off and pitches it up, Gabriel drills it straight over the stumps at the bowler's end
99.5
0
Lakmal to Gabriel, no run, good length on off stump, Gabriel defends it solidly
99.4
0
Lakmal to Gabriel, no run, cuts in off the deck and only just misses off stump. Gabriel is so late on his hack through the covers

Two slips, gully, short leg and leg gully looming over Gabriel

99.3
1
Lakmal to Cummins, 1 run, swats the slower ball from outside off down to long-on
99.2
4
Lakmal to Cummins, FOUR, smears a middle-stump half-volley down the ground to the long-on boundary. Only the second off Lakmal this innings
99.1
0
Lakmal to Cummins, no run, looks for the yorker on leg stump. Nails the length, but the line is just a tiny bit awry. Cummins is backing away again, but can't put bat to ball

West Indies 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st6DS SmithKC Brathwaite
2nd2KOA PowellKC Brathwaite
3rd17KC BrathwaiteSD Hope
3rd30KC BrathwaiteRL Chase
4th9KC BrathwaiteSO Dowrich
5th53KC BrathwaiteSD Hope
6th30KC BrathwaiteJO Holder