Antigua: West Indies secured their first Test series win since February 2023 after the second Test against Sri Lanka ended in a high-scoring draw at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound on Tuesday.
The result gave the West Indies their first Test series win against Sri Lanka in 23 years, following their emphatic innings victory in the opening match at the same venue.
Having already taken a 1-0 lead, they entered the second Test with a rare chance to clinch the series. However, on a batting-friendly surface, the West Indies batsmen showed little urgency as they focused on protecting their advantage.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka adopted an aggressive approach on the final day in an attempt to force a result. At 92-2 overnight, captain Dhananjaya De Silva, Sonal Dinusha and Milan Ratnayake played quick-fire knocks to speed up the score.
The visitors’ strategy was to build a comfortable lead while leaving enough time for their bowlers to make a final push for victory.
West Indies responded with defensive bowling tactics in an attempt to slow down the score, but Sri Lanka added 139 runs in the morning session at an impressive run rate of 5.79 per over.
Although wickets fell as Sri Lanka took risks, the visitors extended their lead and achieved their target. They reached lunch with a lead of 281 runs and declared it past 300 after the break.
Sri Lanka’s pace attack occasionally extracted uneven bounce, but West Indies openers John Campbell and Brandon King remained largely untroubled.
Two minor rain interruptions during the tea break halted play temporarily, although the delay did not significantly affect the match.
During that match, Sri Lanka believed that King had been bowled out leg-before by Prabhat Jayasuriya. The on-field umpire initially raised the finger, but the decision was overturned after King’s successful review.
In the final session, both Campbell and King comfortably reached their half-centuries before the captains agreed to shake hands, which ensured a draw and a 1–0 series win for the West Indies.