Stumps West Indies 271 for 5 (Jangoo 78*, Chase 42*, Asitha 2-25, Rathnayaka 2-45) trail Sri Lanka 308 by 37 runs
Amir Jangoo may not have even featured in the opening Test for West Indies had Shai Hope not suffered an injury during training. But he made full use of the chance to rescue the hosts from a precarious position to leave them only 37 behind Sri Lanka's first-innings 308 after the second day.
Jangoo, playing his second Test, walked in at 97 for 2 in the afternoon, and showed off an obdurate batting style, taking 174 balls for his unbeaten 78. His maiden Test half-century took West Indies to 271 for 5 at stumps.
At the other end, a man with something else to prove came out at No. 7, Roston Chase, the West Indies captain who has averaged 15.50 in 15 innings since July 2025. Watchful in dead-batting and playing the long game, he joined Jangoo in the middle at 168 for 5, took 105 balls to score 42, and contributed to an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 103 to leave the hosts the happier side at close of play.
Their stand was crucial because it came after a middle session where West Indies lost 4 for 79, losing the gains they had achieved in the morning, when the openers helped them reach 89 for 1.
John Campbell (39) and Brandon King (31) saw off the new ball and enjoyed a half-century stand in the morning. The runs came West Indies' way right from the start of the day when Lahiru Kumara sprayed the ball wide in his only over of the session, conceding four byes twice, before leaving the field for the rest of the day with a hamstring niggle. Asitha Fernando and Kasun Rajitha operated close to the corridor of uncertainty but the openers saw them out successfully.
Boundaries from Campbell and King came the classical way - on-drives past the non-striker or crisp shots square on either side - but the occasional mistimed slash also found the fence. The Sri Lanka seamers did get some sideways movement, and regularly beat the batters' edge.
The opening stand ended in the 14th over, shortly after the day's first drinks break, when King miscued a drive off Milan Rathnayaka to short cover.
But in the second session, Sri Lanka's bowlers were right on top with their consistency, and chipped away at West Indies' batting line-up. Campbell was out right after lunch when left-arm spinner Sonal Dinusha tempted him with a full ball outside off. Thinking of lofting Dinusha over his head, all he did was hole out to Nishan Madushka.
Next over, Rathnayaka added a second wicket to his name - after King's dismissal in the morning - by being rewarded for some tidy bowling just outside off stump. After zeroing in on a steady line and length through the 26th over, he got a good-length ball to generate some extra bounce, leaving Kavem Hodge (16) inside-edging a defensive shot onto his stumps.
Joshua Da Silva (20) and Jangoo began a repair job, and were comfortable absorbing the pressure with run-scoring drying up. Jangoo shuffled around his crease, moving to the leg side often to access punches and drives through the off side while Da Silva was more watchful.
But after 18 overs of rebuilding with a 52-run partnership for the fourth wicket, Da Silva struck Asitha to cover, reminiscent of the King dismissal earlier in the day. Asitha once again delivered by getting a nagging delivery to nip away. Justin Greaves was in two minds whether to play or leave, and the eventual edge was pounced by a diving Kusal Mendis with a one-handed special.
It was in these circumstances that Chase and Jangoo got together, and batted 33.5 overs till stumps without any further damage. Sri Lanka's lack of incisiveness late in the back-third of the day was not for lack of trying, but they were a bowler short with Kumara away. The batting pair was unhurried with the setting sun in the background, and ground out Sri Lanka. It was the kind of stand that could be the difference between yet another WTC defeat or a first win of the new cycle for West Indies.
