Sri Lanka Dominate Opening Day as Udara, Kamindu Steady Against West Indies in 1st Innings

Sri Lanka ended a productive opening day in their Test match against West Indies, finishing at 151/2 in 34.1 overs after a composed batting display led by Lahiru Udara and Kamindu Mendis.

The innings began with early trouble as Nishan Madushka fell cheaply for 6, edging Shamar Joseph to the fielding side. Dinesh Chandimal also struggled, departing for just 1 as West Indies struck early to put pressure on the visitors.

However, Lahiru Udara held firm at the crease, playing a controlled and confident knock. He remained unbeaten on 86 off 107 balls, hitting 12 boundaries and keeping the scoreboard moving despite consistent pressure from the West Indies bowling attack.

Kamindu Mendis provided strong support at the other end, finishing the day unbeaten on 51 from 74 deliveries. His calm approach ensured Sri Lanka recovered well from early setbacks and built a stable partnership in the middle overs.

The duo stitched together a crucial stand that shifted momentum back in Sri Lanka’s favor, especially after the early strikes from Shamar Joseph, who picked up both wickets to fall, finishing with figures of 2 wickets for 41 runs.

West Indies bowlers kept things tight throughout the day, with Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph, and Anderson Phillip all applying pressure but failing to break the developing partnership after the initial success.

At stumps, Sri Lanka looked well set with Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Prabath Jayasuriya still to bat, giving them a strong platform to build a big first-innings total.

The visitors will resume Day 2 with confidence, while West Indies will look for early breakthroughs to regain control of the match.