Sri Lanka in control in Galle Test against New Zealand, lead by 202 runs

After a tense battle to open the first test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, the hosts are feeling in control as they finished day three at 237-4 to lead by 202 runs with six wickets in hand. Half-centuries from former captains Dimuth Karunaratne (83) and Dinesh Chandimal (61) steadied the Sri Lankan innings after Pathum Nissanka fell cheaply in the third over. The two seasoned players navigated challenging moments on a pitch that is increasingly difficult to bat on, with the ball spinning and bouncing as it typically does in Galle. Sri Lanka's captain Dhananjaya de Silva, right, and teammate Angelo Mathews run between the wickets.(AP)

"When the ball is turning in Galle, defense is a dangerous option. You should always look at scoring runs,” Karunaratne said. “It was a good partnership with Chandimal. We have played lot of cricket together and we understand each other’s game.”

The second-wicket partnership between Chandimal and Karunaratne was worth 147 runs and could prove crucial to the match. While Sri Lanka’s batters handled spin well, they struggled against pace. They had already succumbed to a five-wicket haul from right-arm quick William O’Rourke in the first innings, and he was again in the thick of it, finishing with three wickets in the second innings.

Ajaz Patel made the breakthrough by cleaning up Karunaratne. O’Rourke then had Chandimal caught at leg slip in the next over and followed it up by dismissing first innings centurion Kamindu Mendis, who, like Nissanka, was caught at slip, both batters troubled by the extra bounce generated by O’Rourke.

Captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Angelo Mathews were involved in an unfinished 59-run stand for the fifth wicket, surviving some tense moments. New Zealand bowled to attacking fields but shifted to a more defensive approach once the lead exceeded 150, keen to protect boundaries.

Play began 15 minutes early on Friday to make up for lost time due to rain, with Daryl Mitchell posting a half-century alongside Tom Latham and Kane Williamson. Mitchell batted well for his 57, but his run-out shifted momentum away from New Zealand.

Glen Phillips played aggressively, smashing 49 off 48 balls with two fours and five sixes, missing out on a well-deserved half-century as Ramesh Mendis cleaned up last man O’Rourke.

“We had the momentum in the morning and then that run out gave Sri Lanka a chance to get back into the game,” Phillips said. “I thought there was a run. My partner trusted my call. I take responsibility and hopefully my options will be better next time.”

Prabath Jayasuriya was the standout bowler, finishing with four wickets, while Ramesh Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva shared five wickets between them.

Saturday will be a rest day as Sri Lanka prepares for the Presidential polls. The test match will resume on Sunday.

“We have a lead of 200 now," Karunaratne said. "Ideally we would like 350, but we will settle for 300 in any case. It’s not easy to score that many runs in the fourth innings in Galle. We are having a rest day tomorrow so the wicket might settle down as well. I have never been in a situation like this before so let’s see.”

Click here to read article