NZ vs SL, 2nd Test: Visitors receive follow-on; Karunaratne shines

New Zealand continued to dominate Sri Lanka in the ongoing second and final Test. At stumps on Day 3, SL, who were asked to follow on, were 113/2. As the Lankans could only manage 164 in their first innings, they are still trailing by 303 runs. In a forgettable day for SL, skipper Dimuth Karunaratne starred with two valiant half-centuries. Here are further details.

SL resumed their first innings at their overnight score of 26/2. As New Zealand declared at 580/4 while batting first, the visitors had a mountain to climb. However, they succumbed under pressure and finished at 164. Karunaratne mustered a fighting 89. Though SL lost opener Oshada Fernando (5) cheaply while following on, Karunaratne (51) and Kusal Mendis (50*) steadied the ship.

While most of the SL batters struggled, Karunaratne led from the front with not one but two valiant knocks. He scored a 188-ball 89 in his first outing and followed it up with an 83-ball 51. No other batter beside him could touch the 40-run mark in SL's first innings. He added 80 runs for the fifth wicket with Dinesh Chandimal (37).

Pacer Matt Henry (3/44) and off-spinner Michael Bracewell (3/50) were the picks of the NZ bowlers in SL's first innings. It was the latter only who dismissed both Karunaratne and Chandimal. Dhananjaya de Silva (0) was his other victim. Meanwhile, Henry, who dismissed Oshada Fernando (6) on Day 2, got the better of Angelo Mathews (1) and debutant Nishan Madushka (19).

After a horrendous show in their first innings, the Lankans fared much better in their second outing. Doug Bracewell inflicted early damage by dismissing Fernando (6) cheaply. However, Karunaratne and Mendis led the fightback with a 71-run stand before the former departed. However, the visitors are still lagging way behind and need a miraculous effort to bounce back in the contest.

Besides Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis smoked a fine fifty in SL's second outing. He returned unbeaten on 50 off 100 balls at the stumps. Notably, the batter was dismissed for a 10-ball duck in SL's first innings. In his second outing, however, he brilliantly tackled the Kiwi bowlers and mustered his 17th Test fifty.