Seales admits ‘frustration’ at delayed landmark, expects batting to be ‘easy’

Stumps, Day 2: West Indies 58 for 1 (Campbell 31*, King 17, Fernando 1-11) trail Sri Lanka 549 for 9 dec. (Udara 188, Dinusha 92, Seales 2-98) by 491 runs

The West Indies will enter Day 3 of the second Test 491 runs behind Sri Lanka, having gotten to stumps at 58 for the loss of Brandon King, responding to the visitors’ mammoth first innings total of 549 for nine, declared.

King was caught at slip off Asitha Fernando for 17 before Kavem Hodge (6*) joined John Campbell (31*), and the pair added 25 runs to see Windies through to close of play.

Having already batted 24 overs, Jayden Seales is confident the hosts can build a strong response on the North Sound wicket.

“Once the lacquer comes off and the hardness of the ball goes out, it's pretty easy to bat, whether you're bowling in a good area or not,” Seales said. 

“And the wicket seems to be an easy-paced one now; it's more of a new-ball pitch.” 

John Campbell (39), Brandon King (31), and Da Silva (20) all got starts before Amir Jangoo (233) and Roston Chase (194) took the game away from Sri Lanka in the first Test.

Seales wants “more of the same from last week.”

“As I said, we batted well [in the] last Test match, albeit from the lower middle order, so to speak.

“But the top order, everyone got stats, so it's just for them to continue in that same vein and push on further.”

On a personal note, Seales began the series five wickets away from 100 in the format. He was also in contention to become the fastest West Indian to get to the landmark in terms of balls bowled. 

However, poor catching behind the stumps from the Caribbean side meant that he could not overtake Ian Bishop for the record. The Trinbagonian has admitted his disappointment.

“I'm really pleased with the effort, [but] it took a while to get there,” he said. 

“It was a bit of hard work—a bit of a frustrating period—but I was really elated to get that 100th wicket [on Day 1].”

The West Indies began the day with a continuation of the tight bowling from Friday’s last session, conceding just 62 runs before Lunch.

They were, however, made to work, delivering 37.5 overs before tasting success on the day with Anderson Phillip bowling Kusal Mendis for 69, breaking the 143-run sixth-wicket stand with Sonal Dinusha at 476 for 6.

Dinusha (92) eventually fell agonizingly short of a maiden Test hundred before de Silva declared with the score 549 for nine. 

Seales revealed he was surprised the visitors decided to bat after being bowled out for 101 in the second innings of the first Test.

“Firstly, it was a brave decision to bat first, seeing how the pitch played last week,” he began.

“That was a bold call by them, and we thought initially that we were in for a good chance to get early wickets and probably break the back of their batting. 

“They batted well; we must give them credit for that.”