Sri Lanka Post 402/5, Tighten Grip on Second Test Against West Indies

Sri Lanka continued to dominate the second Test against the West Indies , reaching 402-5 at lunch on Day 2 in North Sound, Antigua. After laying a strong foundation on the opening day, the visitors frustrated the home side with a patient and composed batting effort, keeping their hopes of leveling the two match series firmly alive.

Resuming the day at 338-5 , Sri Lanka's unbeaten pair of Sonal Dinusha and Kusal Mendis successfully negotiated the second new ball. The duo added 64 valuable runs during the morning session, ensuring the West Indies failed to claim a single wicket before lunch. Their disciplined partnership not only steadied the innings but also pushed Sri Lanka beyond the 400 run mark.

The West Indies pace attack bowled with discipline but lacked the breakthrough they desperately needed. Their frustration increased when John Campbell dropped a straightforward catch offered by Kusal Mendis at first slip off the bowling of Shamar Joseph . The missed opportunity proved costly as Sri Lanka continued to pile on the runs.

Kusal Mendis mixed caution with aggression, striking a six over backward point off Shamar Joseph before following it up with consecutive boundaries. At lunch, Dinusha remained unbeaten on 37 , while Kusal Mendis was batting on 30 . Speaking during the interval, Mendis said Sri Lanka would aim for a total between 450 and 500 , believing it would be a match winning score on the surface.

The visitors' strong position was built on Lahiru Udara's outstanding 188 , his maiden Test century, on the opening day. Kamindu Mendis also made a significant contribution with a fluent 84 , narrowly missing a deserved hundred.

For the West Indies, Shamar Joseph was the most successful bowler with 2-82 , while Alzarri Joseph , Jayden Seales , and Justin Greaves picked up one wicket each. With wickets still in hand and momentum on their side, Sri Lanka are well placed to post a formidable first innings total and put the series leaders under pressure.