Sri Lanka hold all the aces

Midway through the afternoon session on the second day, West Indies were, quite incredibly, the dominant team in the match and pressing for the initiative. They had scored 285 and had Sri Lanka on the mat at 113 for 7. Stung by the embarrassment of being pushed into a corner by an under-strength team they were expected to roll over, Sri Lanka fought back, and West Indies have been at the receiving end ever since.

Chaminda Vaas has often had to live under Muttiah Muralitharan's shadow, but the Sinhalese Sports Club ground is his own: before this Test, he had taken 68 wickets in 16 Tests at a superb average of 24.20; here, he has already added seven more at the cost of just 47 runs. His ability to swing the ball into the right-handers has troubled all the West Indian batsmen, who have shown woeful technique against the moving ball.

West Indies' only hope now is further intervention from the Colombo weather, which ensured that only 25.3 overs on the third day. Leading by only 117 with four second-innings wickets in hand, they will look to Shivnarine Chanderpaul to push the lead beyond 150. However, if the weather holds up, this might well be the last day of the Test.