Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera hit measured half-centuries to lead Sri Lanka’s fightback in second Test against the West Indies on Wednesday.
Skipper Sangakkara was unbeaten on 84 and Samaraweera on 78 not out as Sri Lanka reached 199-3 in their first innings at lunch on the second day. The pair have so far put on a record 165 for the unbroken fourth-wicket stand.
Sri Lanka’s previous best for the fourth wicket against the West Indies was 110 between Sanath Jayasuriya and Arjuna Ranatunga in Antigua in 1997.
The hosts, reeling at 34-3 after electing to bat on Tuesday, were propped up by Sangakkara and Samaraweera, who denied the West Indies a whitewash with sensible knocks under pressure.
Sri Lanka added 115 runs to their overnight total of 84-3 in the extended morning session.
Middle-order batsman Samaraweera, 26 overnight, played some excellent shots in his 162-ball knock, straight-driving and then cutting seamer Dwayne Bravo for two successive fours before reaching his 25th Test half-century.
Samaraweera, who made 52 in the drawn opening Test in Galle, has so far hit one six and eight fours.
The Sri Lankan skipper also batted confidently, once fluently driving fast bowler Kemar Roach through the covers and then cutting firmly for two boundaries in an over.
Sangakkara, 25 overnight, completed his 35th Test half-century with an attacking shot, pulling seamer Darren Sammy for a four. He has so far cracked 11 boundaries in his 196-ball knock.
The West Indies, who bowled well in overcast conditions on Tuesday, needed a couple of early wickets to seize the initiative but none of their bowlers could keep pressure on Samaraweera and Sangakkara.
Off-spinner Shane Shillingford, reported for a suspected illegal bowling action after bagging five wickets in the previous Test, bowled for the first time in the match, but without success.
Samaraweera swept Shillingford and then used his feet remarkably well to drive the spinner through the covers for two successive fours. Shillingford has far conceded 34 runs in his 10 overs.
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