Jangoo, Chase put West Indies in control against Sri Lanka

A double-century by relative newcomer Amir Jangoo and 194 from captain Roston Chase put the West Indies in a commanding position with the sixth-wicket pair’s partnership of 401 lifting the home side to a mammoth first innings total of 626 for nine declared on the third day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Saturday.

Sri Lanka, who looked a dispirited lot, completely bereft of ideas in the field for almost the entire day, lost Pathum Nissanka to Jayden Seales before the close of play, leaving them at 15 for one in the second innings, trailing on by 303 runs going into day four.

“I am not one to really put pressure on myself. Even though I wasn’t getting the runs, my priority has been to get the best out of my teammates,” said Chase in putting his sixth Test century, more than seven years after his fifth, into context.

“Of course it’s good not just to lead by words but on the field of play as well and we have been talking a lot about finally getting our first win in this World Test Championship (cycle).”

On another sun-drenched day, Jangoo and Chase took full toll of their listless opponents, who were again without the services of injured seamer Lahiru Kumara.

Yet the visitors’ overall effort revealed a lack of imagination from captain Dhananjaya de Silva through the fruitless morning and afternoon sessions as the West Indies pair accumulated runs with increasing ease, having started the day at 271 for five.

Nothing, though, could diminish the significance of the stand by the compact left-hander seeking to take full advantage of an unexpected opportunity and the slim, upright right-handed skipper who turned his first Test century for more than seven years into a truly special innings.

Such was the level of their dominance that it seemed they could have batted through the entire day, having come together at the start of play after tea on the second day when the West Indies were labouring at 168 for five in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 308, which then seemed a substantial effort.

Indeed, they were only separated when Jangoo, who transformed his maiden Test century into a memorable 233, skied an attempted swing to leg off Milan Rathnayaka for wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis to pouch a comfortable catch.

This was a failed effort to repeat the shot of a ball before when he hoisted the medium-pacer for six over deep backward-square-leg to lift the partnership to 401.

Second-highest partnership 

It now stands as the second-highest partnership in Test cricket for any wicket by the West Indies, bettered only by the 446 put on by Garfield Sobers and Conrad Hunte for the second wicket against Pakistan in Kingston, Jamaica in 1958 and just two runs ahead of the 399 amassed by Sobers and his mentor, Frank Worrell, for the fourth wicket against England in their native Bridgetown, Barbados in 1960.

That one hook for six before Jangoo’s demise also put him and Chase at the top of the list for the highest sixth-wicket partnership in all Test cricket, surpassing the 399 by the England pair of Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow against South Africa in Cape Town in the New Year’s Test of 2016.

Having only gotten into the final 11 for this match when established middle-order batsman Shai Hope was ruled out on the first morning with a strained left shoulder, Jangoo’s innings of more than eight hours at the crease occupied 373 deliveries, embellished by three sixes and 19 fours.

Faced with a rising tide of regional dissent towards his so far unsuccessful Test captaincy, compounded by a lack of runs off his own bat, Chase’s disappointment at falling six short of a double-century, bowled round his legs by spinner Sonal Dinusha, would have been eased by the volume of his contribution, an innings which occupied 324 deliveries and was highlighted by two sixes and 13 fours.

Amid the carnage, Rathnayaka completed a deserved five-wicket haul, trapping Kemar Roach leg-before to achieve the personal milestone and prompt Chase’s declaration.