Jangoo puts West Indies in control

June.27 (Mirror Sports) - West Indies moved into a strong position on Day 2 of the first Test after Amir Jangoo’s unbeaten half-century steered the hosts to 271 for 5 in reply to Sri Lanka’s first-innings total of 308 in Antigua.

At stumps, the West Indies were just 37 runs behind with five wickets in hand, thanks to an unbroken partnership between Jangoo and Roston Chase that shifted the momentum in the hosts' favour.

Sri Lanka enjoyed early success with the ball after the West Indies made a steady start. John Campbell scored 39, while Brandon King added 31 before the visitors struck at regular intervals to keep the contest evenly poised.

Asitha Fernando led Sri Lanka’s attack with 2 for 25, extracting movement and bounce from the surface, while Milan Rathnayaka claimed two key wickets to leave the hosts under pressure during the afternoon session.

However, Jangoo and Chase combined to frustrate the Sri Lankan bowlers with a composed, unbeaten stand. Jangoo anchored the innings with a determined 78 not out, while Chase remained unbeaten on 42, guiding the West Indies to within touching distance of Sri Lanka’s total.

Earlier, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 308 after captain Dhananjaya de Silva produced a superb century. Dhananjaya top-scored with 120, supported by Dinesh Chandimal’s 54 and Sonal Dinusha’s valuable 43.

Justin Greaves starred with the ball for the West Indies, claiming 3 for 39, while Kemar Roach finished with 2 for 32. Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph also picked up two wickets each to prevent Sri Lanka from posting a bigger first-innings score.

The opening session on Day 3 is expected to be crucial, with the West Indies aiming for a valuable first-innings lead and Sri Lanka searching for early breakthroughs with the still relatively new ball.