West Indies vs Sri Lanka 2021, 2nd ODI: West Indies Seal ODI Series After A Thriller Victory

West Indies have secured the ODI series victory against the visitors Sri Lanka after winning the thrilling second match of the three-match ODI series at Antigua on Friday (12th March). With this five-wicket victory, the Caribbean team has taken the 2-0 lead in this series with one to go as it is their first ODI series victory under the 2020–23 ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.

After the hosts sent the visitors to bat first, Sri Lanka managed their first innings total of 273/8 (50 overs). In reply, West Indies chased down the target in 49.4 overs after losing 5 wickets.

West Indies vs Sri Lanka 2021, 2nd ODI

2nd innings (West Indies): Openers Evin Lewis and Shai Hope set up the 192 runs partnership before Nicholas Pooran calmly finished the game

Again the West Indies openers Evin Lewis and Shai Hope set up a good start with the big century partnership. This time their opening partnership ran for the 38th over while they had the 192 runs partnership. But in quick succession, both these batsmen lost their wickets as Lewis completed his century and got stumped out after scoring 103 off 121 balls (8 fours and 4 sixes). Lakshan Sandakan took that wicket.

In the meantime, Hope recorded his fifth consecutive ODI 50+ score but closely missed his second consecutive ODI century as Thisara Perera dismissed him for 84 runs (108 balls; 6 fours) in the 39th over.

Then Sri Lankan bowlers returned to the game by picking up regular wickets in the death overs. But Nicholas Pooran controlled the other side and his brilliant batting helped the hosts to just manage the victory.

While West Indies were 13 runs away from the victory in the last two overs, they needed 9 runs in the final over. After a dot ball on the first delivery of the final over, Pooran hit two back-to-back boundaries to Nuwan Pradeep before taking the match-winning single on the fourth ball of that over. Pooran remained not out on 35 off 38 balls (4 fours).

Thisara Perera (2/45) and Nuwan Pradeep (2/66) picked up two wickets each in that innings but Sri Lanka just failed to snatch a great ODI victory.

1st innings (Sri Lanka): Danushka Gunathilaka just missed a century, Dinesh Chandimal played a great knock under pressure and Wanindu Hasaranga ended the innings in a firing way

Sri Lanka didn’t get a strong start in this game as the visitors lost their three batsmen inside the first powerplay. While captain Dimuth Karunaratne scored only 1, Pathum Nissanka and Oshada Fernando scored 10 and 2 runs as the visitors were struggling on 50/3.

But another opener Danushka Gunathilaka and the experienced wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Chandimal handled the situation very well and set up the 100 partnership for the fourth wicket. Gunathilaka reached his fifty in 48 balls and continued his impressive batting even after completing his second consecutive ODI fifty. But just after the partnership completed 100 runs, Jason Mohammed dismissed Gunathilaka for run-a-ball 96 runs (10 fours and 2 sixes).

Ashen Bandara (18) failed to reach the 20-run mark but Chandimal completed his half-century in 79 balls. In the 42nd over, Jason Mohammed once again dismissed a set batsman as Chandimal was caught out at the deep midwicket after scoring 71 off 98 balls (3 fours and 2 sixes).

Thisara Perera and Wanindu Hasaranga then put the 64 runs partnership for the seventh wicket, where Hasaranga scored 47 off just 31 balls with the help of 2 fours and 4 sixes. Jason Holder dismissed Hasaranga in the last over of the innings while Thisara (19) also lost his wicket in that over through a run-out.

Among the West Indies bowlers, Jason Mohammed (3/47) got three wickets and Alzarri Joseph (2/42) picked up two wickets.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka – 273/8 in 50 overs (Danushka Gunathilaka 96, Dinesh Chandimal 71; Jason Mohammed 3/47)

West Indies – 274/5 in 49.4 overs (Evin Lewis 103, Shai Hope 84; Thisara Perera 2/45)

Result – West Indies won by 5 wickets