Sri Lanka vs West Indies – 2nd Test Match Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Sri Lanka vs West Indies taking place? Monday, November 29th, 2021 – 04:30 (UK)
Where is Sri Lanka vs West Indies taking place? Galle International Stadium, Galle
What is the expected weather for Sri Lanka vs West Indies? 28-29c with sunny intervals and light winds, but also a risk of thundery showers on each day of play
What channel is Sri Lanka vs West Indies on? The match will not be televised live in the UK
Where can I stream Sri Lanka vs West Indies? The match cannot be streamed live in the UK
LAST MEETING Sri Lanka beat West Indies by 187 runs
THE TEAM NEWS
SRI LANKA
- Sri Lanka got off to the perfect start in the first Test match, racking up 386 after winning the toss and batting first, ultimately setting up a platform to keep themselves ahead throughout the game, eventually winning comprehensively.
- Unsurprisingly it was Sri Lanka’s spin-bowlers who did the damage with the ball, Praveen Jayawickrama taking four wickets in the first innings, supported by Ramesh Mendis who after taking three scalps in the first innings followed it up with another four in the second innings, whilst Lasith Embuldenya picked up a five-wicket-haul.
- Head coach Mickey Arthur is likely to name an unchanged side in what will be his final match in charge of Sri Lanka before leaving at the end of his contract to join Derbyshire CCC and will be desperate to cap off his reign with a series victory. Captain Dimuth Karunaratne is likely to name an unchanged continued his sublime recent form with the bat, scoring 147 in the first innings before backing that up with 83 in the second and West
WEST INDIES
- West Indies were spun out by the hosts in the first Test, losing 19 of their 20 wickets over the course of the match to spin as their batters failed to cope with a turning pitch combined with high quality Sri Lankan bowling.
- Roston Chase and Jomel Warrican led the Windies’ spin-bowling response, taking 10 of the 14 wickets their side accrued across the contest, whilst Rahkeem Cornwall will look to improve on his figures from the first Test after managing just two wickets in 42.5 overs bowled.
- Wicketkeeper-batter Shai Hope was brought into the side during the first Test as a concussion replacement for Jeremy Solozano, who was hit on the head whilst fielding and the expectation is that Hope will play as a specialist batter in the second Test with Joshua Da Silva retaining the gloves.
THE PREDICTION
Sri Lanka played the conditions to perfection in the first Test and will once again hope to win the toss and bat first, before putting together a big total that applies severe pressure onto the West Indies. If the tourists are to succeed in this second Test, they must find a way to dismiss Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne early on. The opening batter continued his sublime recent form in the first Test, scoring 147 in the first innings before backing that up with 83 in the second. However, whether Sri Lanka bat or bowl first, the fact of the matter is that the West Indies batters have had simply no answer to the hosts’ fantastic spin-bowling arsenal and it is unlikely that this will change in the second Test. The weather may yet come to the Windies rescue, but should the thundery showers stay clear for long enough, then it’s hard to look beyond Sri Lanka winning this second Test, and thus sealing the series.
