Sri Lanka are having a hand and four fingers on completing a series sweep over New Zealand at home. After defeating them in the first Test by 63 runs, the Lankan Lions are set to register a huge win in the second game at the Galle International Stadium.
Sri Lanka handed a follow-on to the Blackcaps after bowling them out for a mere 88 in the first innings. The total is New Zealand's lowest in a Test match against Sri Lanka. In their follow-on innings, the Blackcaps are in hot waters, having lost five wickets for 199. They still trail by 315 runs and are way away from inviting the hosts to bat again.
If Sri Lanka manage to restrict the Blackcaps inside 33 more runs, they would create history and register their biggest win in Test cricket. The Lankan Lions' largest win in the format came last year when they defeated Ireland by an innings and 280 runs.
If the Lankan Lions win this match, it will be only the second time that they would have whitewashed New Zealand in a two-match series. The only previous time they achieved this was back in 2009 when the Kumar Sangakkara-led team defeated Daniel Vettori's New Zealand in a two-match home series.
Prabath Jayasuriya has wreaked havoc to the New Zealand innings, getting a six-wicket haul in the first innings. He credited the batters for piling up over 600 runs in the first innings. "It has been a fabulous Test match for us," Jayasuriya said. "All credit to the batters. When they put on 600-plus runs on the board it is really tough when the opposition knows the game has slipped away from them. We need five more wickets and I am sure we will wrap things up quickly," he added.
The third day of the match was a horrific one for New Zealand. They resumed the day on 22/2 but lost as many as nine wickets in the opening session as the hosts ate apart their batting line-up. While Jayasuriya picked up 6/42, Nishan Peiris took three wickets to bowl the Blackcaps under 100. Sri Lankan skipper Dhananjaya de Silva grabbed five catches and all of them came off the bowling of Jayasuriya.
A total of 15 wickets fell on the third day as the conditions played in favour of the spinners. The Blackcaps lost their remaining eight wickets and one more after being forced to follow-on in the first session itself. The second session saw four more wickets falling. The third session saw Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips hold the fort and go unscathed as stumps were called early due to the bad light.
