KINGSTON (Jamaica), June 27: West Indies fast bowlers struck it rich to have Sri Lanka struggling at 77-3 at lunch on the opening day of the second and final Test at the Sabina Park here on Friday.
Corey Collymore, Vasbert Drakes and debutant Fidel Edwards each grabbed one wicket to keep the pressure on the Sri Lankan batsmen in the morning session.
Kumar Sangakkara was batting on 14 at the break.
West Indies skipper Brian Lara’s decision to put the tourists into bat after winning the toss paid rich dividends as Collymore and Drakes removed veteran openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu in their opening spells.
Left-handed Jayasuriya was the first to go, caught by wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs off Collymore after hitting five fours in his 37-ball 26.
Atapattu, who scored a century in the opening Test, contributed just 15 this time as he was caught by Chris Gayle off Drakes to leave his team tottering at 48-2.
Mahela Jayawardene (10) fell just before lunch, caught by a diving Gayle in the slips to become Edwards’s first Test victim.
Both sides made two changes from the teams that drew the opening Test in St Lucia on Tuesday.
The hosts included fast bowlers Drakes and Edwards in a bid to strengthen their attack, dropping batsman Daren Ganga and Mervyn Dillon.
Left-arm seamer Thilan Thushara Mirando made his first Test appearance for Sri Lanka, who axed spinners Kaushal Lokuarachchi and Thilan Samaraweera.Off-spinner Kumar Dharmasena was also included.
Scoreboard
SRI LANKA (1st Innings):
M.Atapattu c Gayle b Drakes 15
S.T. Jayasuriya c Jacobs b Collymore 26
K.C. Sangakkara not out 14
D.P.M. Jayawardene c Gayle b Edwards 10
EXTRAS (LB-6, W-1, NB-5) 12
TOTAL (for three wkts, 25.2 overs) 77
FALL OF WKTS: 1-38, 2-48, 3-77.
TO BAT: H.P. Tillekeratne, R.S. Kaluwitharana, H.D.P.K. Dharmasena, W.P.U.J.C. Vaas, M.T.T. Mirando, M. Muralitharan, R.A.P. Nissanka.
BOWLING (to-date): Collymore 7-3-10-1; Taylor 6-0-33-0; Drakes 7-2-18-1; Edwards 5.2-0-10-1.