Day 3 of the second Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand saw play come to a premature close due to bad light and a light drizzle but not before the hosts sent down thunderbolts of pure chaos in the visitors’ dressing room. New Zealand trail Sri Lanka by 315 runs with only five wickets in the tank and it looks an incredibly uphill task for the Black Caps to come anywhere close to setting a target for the Lankans.
Prabath Jayasuriya was the star of the day as he scalped his ninth five-wicket haul in Tests. His third dismissal came in just the third over of the day as a dogged 53-ball stay at the crease for Kane Williamson came to an end when he tickled one to slip.
The debutant, Nishan Peiris was quick to get off the mark on his debut as he got one to rush through to disturb Rachin Ravindra’s leg-stump. An eight-ball interval during the 26th and 27th overs saw three wickets fall in a cluster as the duo of Jayasuriya and Peiris looked as lethal as ever.
New Zeland sunk further after Daryll Mitchell bit a dangling carrot by Jayasuriya to hole out an aggressive shot straight to long-on. That also meant that eight out of nine five-wicket hauls of Jayasuriya have come in Galle. Peiris put New Zealand’s first-innings misery to an end by getting one to breeze past Mitchell Santner’s outside edge for a beautifully crafted three-wicket haul.
However, the word had immediately come through regarding Sri Lanka enforcing the follow-on on New Zealand, which meant there would be no instantaneous respite for the Kiwi batting unit. And lo and behold, Tom Latham bagged a duck in the very first over of the second essay.
New Zealand’s largest partnership in the match came between Devon Conway and Kane Williamson, as they looked quite assured during their time in the middle. However, yet another collapse followed with the Black Caps losing four wickets for 24 runs. An unbeaten stand for the sixth wicket between Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips, both of whom flopped in the first innings, saw the visitors get to a respective score of 199 before bad light with a constantly nagging drizzle bringing a premature end to the day’s play with New Zealand still trailing by 315 runs.
Here’s how X reacted to Day 3 of the SL-NZ Test
New Zealand fight but Sri Lanka still in command as bad light forces stumps on Day 3 👊 [ICC]#WTC25 #SLvNZ pic.twitter.com/5UIMmjHEM9
— Kanak Kumari (@KanakKu64995524) September 28, 2024
#SLvNZ
Prabath Jayasuriya
— 🏏 (@TheCricketList) September 28, 2024
View from Galle fort today 😍 #SLvNZ pic.twitter.com/xwJgUTuwe4
— Sukiya (@da_sukiya) September 28, 2024
New Zealand’s biggest defeats in Tests:
Innings & 324 runs vs Pakistan, Lahore 2002
Innings & 322 runs vs WI, Wellington 1995
Innings & 222 runs vs AUS, Hobart 1993
Currently trail by 315 with 5 wickets in hand at Galle. What a game for Sri Lanka.#SLvNZ
— CricBlog ✍ (@cric_blog) September 28, 2024
Is the Fab Four still a thing ? . Since 2020 Root 103 innings. 17 test centuries . Smith ,Kohli and Kane combined 160 innings 19 centuries ( 6 ,2 & 11 ) #SLvNZ #INDvsBAN #CricketTwitter 🏏
— John Wright (@johnwright15) September 28, 2024
Srilankan legend @MahelaJay is highly impressed by young Kamindu Mendis. #SLvNZ https://t.co/8mfVuenIPU
— theinstatweets (@theinsta_tweets) September 28, 2024
9 – @PrabathJayasur2 picked up his ninth five-wicket haul in men’s Tests against New Zealand today, which is already the fourth most by any @OfficialSLC bowler; no player has taken more such hauls in the format since Jayasuriya made his Test debut on 8 July 2022. Special.#SLvNZ pic.twitter.com/6nHIHje7TK
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) September 28, 2024
Prabath Jayasuriya has been Taken 9 fifers in just 29 innings in Test cricket…
– THE INSANE RECORD..🥶#SLvNZ #KanpurTest pic.twitter.com/ZNVJGLThyY
— Prabhat Yadav (@PrabhatYad89107) September 28, 2024
Do You Know?
New Zealand’s 88 (39.5) happens to be their lowest total vs Sri Lanka in Test Cricket.
NZ’s prev lowest vs SL: 102 @ Colombo(SSC) in 1992.#SLvNZ
— sudharshan sridharan (@sudharshansrid1) September 28, 2024
What’s wrong with New Zealand cricket team?#SLvNZ
— Shahzaib Zubair (@ShaziZubair21) September 28, 2024