Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva scored 120 runs on the opening day against the West Indies. The first Test match took place at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.
However, the West Indies bowled out the visitors for 308 runs. The West Indies openers survived one over before the close of play, leaving the match evenly poised heading into Day 2.
Sri Lanka Recovers from Early Batting Collapse
The match began on a steamy Thursday morning with a pitch that favoured fast bowlers. West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl first, a decision that paid off almost immediately. Veteran pacer Kemar Roach took the wicket of Pathum Nissanka in the first over.
Shortly after, Alzarri Joseph caused further damage by taking two wickets in consecutive deliveries. He trapped Nishan Madushka (23) leg-before-wicket and then forced Kamindu Mendis to edge a ball to first slip. This left Sri Lanka struggling at 42 for 3 within the first hour.
Dhananjaya de Silva entered the crease during this crisis and began a long rescue mission. He and Dinesh Chandimal scored together a vital 68-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Chandimal scored 54 runs before a Shamar Joseph yorker bowled him shortly after he had reached his half century.
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Dhananjaya de Silva Anchors the Innings with a Century
The Sri Lankan captain played elegant straight drives and powerful pulls square of the wicket to keep the scoreboard moving. De Silva reached his 13th Test century off 150 balls, celebrating the milestone with a flick through midwicket. During his innings, de Silva formed a 68-run stand with Dinesh Chandimal. He also had a massive 99-run stand with debutant Sonal Dinusha.
Sonal Dinusha, playing in only his second Test match, showed great maturity by contributing 43 runs. He supported his captain through the middle and evening sessions before Kemar Roach eventually dismissed him. Their partnership helped Sri Lanka move from a precarious 110 for 5 to a much safer position.
West Indies Bowlers Fight Back in Final Session
Although de Silva dominated for most of the day, the West Indies bowlers never stopped attacking. Justin Greaves eventually ended the captain’s stay at the crease. De Silva attempted to clip a length delivery through midwicket but instead provided a leading edge to point.
Greaves then quickly cleaned up the lower order to finish with his best Test figures. Shamar Joseph also played a significant role, taking two wickets in a single over after lunch to remove Chandimal and Kusal Mendis.
Meanwhile, Kemar Roach finished the day with figures of 2 for 32. He is now just four wickets away from reaching the milestone of 300 Test wickets, which would make him only the fifth West Indian to do so.
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Fielding Struggles and Match Outlook
The West Indies could have dismissed Sri Lanka for a lower total if not for several errors in the field. Wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva, returning to the team after an 18-month absence, dropped three catches during the day. Two of these chances were described as straightforward, which allowed the Sri Lankan batters to extend their innings.
Additionally, the West Indies suffered a blow before the match began when Shai Hope suffered shoulder injury. This paved the way for Amir Jangoo to return to the Test side.
By the time the final wicket fell, Sri Lanka had reached 308 runs in 71.5 overs. The West Indies openers, John Campbell and Brandon King, had to face one over before the day ended. They safely negotiated the six balls from Asitha Fernando to finish the day at 0 for 0.
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