COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CMC) – Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican snatched four wickets on debut to help inspire a Sri Lanka collapse but West Indies then lost opener Shai Hope to stumble to the close on a sluggish opening day of the pivotal second Test, when 12 wickets tumbled.
Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka folded in the final hour at the P Sara Oval for 200, with only Milinda Siriwardana showing any major resistance with 68.
Rangana Herath, batting at number nine, ended on 26 not out while first Test century-maker Dinesh Chandimal chipped in with 25.
The 23-year-old Warrican, brought in for pacer Shannon Gabriel in the only change from the Galle Test, finished with four for 67 and was supported by seamers Jason Holder (2-22) and Jerome Taylor (2-50).
However, Sri Lanka hit back in the 32 deliveries possible before bad light ended play, prising out the right-handed Hope for four, as West Indies reached 17 for one.
Hope perished to the final delivery of the opening over, missing one from seamer Dhammika Prasad that came back and to be trapped plumb in front, with the score on seven.
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite, unbeaten on four and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo, five, then kept the Sri Lankan bowlers at bay until play ended prematurely with just over 16 overs remaining.
Sri Lanka had earlier started poorly, losing Kaushal Silva without scoring to the fourth delivery of the day with just a single run on the board, caught at the wicket off Taylor – a decision only given after the Windies opted for review.
In a session which saw only 21 overs bowled, the hosts lost wickets steadily to decline to 59 for four at lunch, with another first Test century-maker Dimuth Karunaratne (13), debutant Kusal Mendis (13) and captain Angelo Mathews (14) all falling cheaply.
Skipper Holder, in the second over of his first spell, trapped the left-handed Karunaratne lbw on the stroke of the first hour with one that shaped in and three balls later in the next over, Roach ended Mendis’ first Test innings meekly when he had the right-hander caught at the wicket playing a loose stroke.
Mendis was originally given not out but had the decision overturned on review.
West Indies then ended the session on a high when Holder knocked over his opposite number, Mathews for 14 in the final over before lunch, caught at second slip by Brathwaite pushing defensively.
Siriwardana then held the innings together after the break with two small partnerships, adding 31 for the fifth wicket with Chandimal and 37 for the sixth wicket with Kusal Perera (16).
All told, the left-hander faced 111 balls and counted six fours and two sixes.
Yet to score at lunch, Siriwardana got off the mark with a boundary through cover off Warrican and in the next over, cut Roach the point boundary.
He lost Chandimal in the last over before the drinks break, playing on to Taylor, but continued to play positively, punching Taylor and Holder through cover for boundaries in successive overs.
Warrican got his first Test wicket when he claimed Perera, caught and bowled off a full toss in the third over before tea to leave Sri Lanka on 127 for six.
His dismissal prompted Siriwardana to up the ante and he reached his maiden Test half-century in style in the following over, twice clearing the ropes down the ground with Warrican.
On 145 for six at tea, Sri Lanka managed to add only 55 runs afterward, as Warrican grabbed three of the four remaining wickets.
Dilruwan Perera, one of two changes to the squad, fell in the fifth over after tea for five stumped by Denesh Ramdin off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo and Siriwardana eventually departed, attempting to clear the ropes a third time, holing out to long-off to give Warrican his second Test wicket at 173 for eight.
Herath struck a couple of lusty blows to hand his side precious runs but Warrican mopped up the last two wickets in his 20th over, to quickly contain the damage.