(Cricket news) Karunaratne chose to bat first on a calm Galle track after winning the toss. By reaching his 15th Test century and putting on a significant second-wicket partnership with Mendis for 281 runs, the highest-ever Test partnership at Galle, he nearly carried his bat throughout the day’s play.
However, after a lengthy day in the field, Ireland scored two significant breakthroughs when Mendis and Angelo Mathews both fell within three overs of one another. Mathews was out for his fifth Test match duck after only three balls when he took a reckless swing at a Ben White delivery.
After the first ten overs of the Test, Sri Lanka made a strong start and was 40-0. Early in the day, Mark Adair entered the attack with little help from the pitch for the seamers, but he offered no relief for the Ireland fielders, with Karunaratne scoring two boundaries off his first over.
Ireland made a crucial breakthrough in the first hour as the scoring rate kept rising. Nishan Madushka was bowled out for 29 by Curtis Campher, who also secured his first Test victory. Just as the bat of Madushka was taking the outside edge of the ball to Lorcan Tucker behind the stumps, the ball nipped away from an off-stump line.
But that would be the last wicket for more than two sessions of play. Mendis entered the break on 33 with 119 runs scored in the session, and Karunaratne had achieved his half-century before lunch off 69 balls.
As the heat in Sri Lanka reached its peak, the middle session proved especially painful for Ireland. Mendis scored his fifty-first run by blasting Andy McBrine high over long-on for the first maximum of the day. The hundred partnership was reached after two overs.
Less than two overs after the partnership passed the 150-run mark, Karunaratne reached his century with a front-foot drive through cover as Ireland laboured valiantly but ineffectively. Karunaratne has reached fifty in all but one of his four Test innings this year; this was his first century since March of last year against India in Bengaluru.
Even though Mendis was getting close to his century, he would have to wait until after the break to reach three figures. At the completion of 28 overs in the afternoon session, Mendis and Karunaratne had combined for 126 runs. From position 94 to position 100, Mendis needed five balls. With the previous delivery, he had blasted Mark Adair to the boundary for four runs before reaching the milestone with a single to backward point.
The two bats kept going well into the evening session, adding ten runs of one McBrine to their total to reach the 200-run stand. The partnership at Galle reached its highest level ever in a Test after Ireland lost a review check caught behind, giving Sri Lanka its first major fright in several hours. The previous record for Bangladesh was 267, set in 2013 by Mohammad Ashraful and Mushfiqur Rahim.
However, George Dockrell made the crucial dismissal just as Ireland faced the risk of only collecting one wicket for the day. After giving up 59 runs from his previous ten overs, Dockrell trapped Mendis LBW when attempting the sweep; the review from Mendis showed all three reds, providing Dockrell with some compensation.
After two overs, Ireland had their third. Ben White threw a short, wide pass, which Mathews pursued down. The ball skimmed his top edge and went through to the custodian. a reward for the tourists after a challenging day.
Before play ended, Karunaratne’s remarkable innings also came to an end. He played the shot of a hitter who had been at the crease all day when he was caught behind for 179, waving his bat outside off and finding a nick.
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