Sri Lanka v West Indies, 2015-16

At Colombo (PSO), October 22-26, 2015. Sri Lanka won by 72 runs. Toss: Sri Lanka. Test debuts: B. K. G. Mendis; J. A. Warrican.
In front of Sir Garfield Sobers, and hordes of schoolchildren admitted free, West Indies twice threatened to square the series, only for their batsmen to fall short again. They owed the chance of their first Test win in 11 attempts in Sri Lanka to two unheralded bowlers: Jomel Warrican, a slow left-armer from Barbados making his debut, took four wickets on the opening day as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 200, then Kraigg Brathwaite, whose rarely seen off-breaks had claimed a solitary wicket in 23 previous Tests, polished off the second innings with a six-for.

However, West Indies' batting would have made Sobers wince: all out for 163 in the first innings to concede a lead of 37, then - needing a modest 244 for victory on a track that was turning, but not prodigiously - all out for 171. It was a team effort by Sri Lanka's bowlers: slow left-armers Herath and Siriwardene, and paceman Prasad, took five wickets apiece, while off-spinner Dilruwan Perera claimed four.

Siriwardene also starred with the bat, his 68 on the first afternoon - a maiden Test half- century - proving to be the highest score of the match after Sri Lanka had slipped to 90 for five. West Indies vastly improved their fielding from the First Test, the highlight being Brathwaite's low catch at second slip to account for Mathews. Warrican, who had received his cap from Sobers before play, started with a long-hop, settled down with an unbroken 14-over spell, and took four of the last five wickets.

Prasad set West Indies back with three quick strikes and, although Brathwaite lasted 163 minutes for 47, no one else exceeded Holder's 21. Sri Lanka tried to build on their slender lead, but were pegged back: Taylor struck with the first ball of the innings, then the accurate Warrican flummoxed Mendis and Silva (the first of a Test-record-equalling five outfield catches in an innings for Blackwood) when they looked set. However, a decisive advantage still seemed likely when Mathews and Siriwardene took Sri Lanka 188 in front - only for the unsung Brathwaite to up-end the innings with six cheap wickets for his rusty off-breaks as Sri Lanka collapsed in a heap. Brathwaite had to badger Holder for a chance: "Jason knows I like to bowl," he said. "I was always in his ear telling him I could get the breakthrough. It came to a point where he said he'd give me a try."

West Indies needed 244, but Brathwaite's big day ended in disappointment when he fell to the final delivery. Rain wiped out the fourth, but Hope and Bravo took the total to 80 when play resumed on the fifth morning. Then the wheels fell off: Siriwardene had Hope stumped for a doughty 35, before Samuels and Blackwood departed for single figures. Herath had been having a quiet match, with just one wicket in 32 overs, but virtually decided the issue in his 33rd, when Ramdin and Bravo (after battling 155 minutes for 61) both edged to Mathews at slip. Three more wickets tumbled - five went down in 46 balls in all - and, although Roach and Warrican closed the gap a little, Herath finally sealed a 2-0 series win. It was the 11th successive positive result in a Test at the P. Sara Oval, though only Sri Lanka's second victory in the last six.
Man of the Match: T. A. M. Siriwardene. Man of the Series: H. M. R. K. B. Herath.