Sri Lanka remained in a strong position to win the opening Test against New Zealand in Galle despite Rachin Ravindra's unbeaten 91 on September 22, Sunday.
Sri Lanka just two wickets away from winning first Test against New Zealand
However, Rachin Ravindra's determined 91 stood in Sri Lanka's way as Galle Test is poised for a thrilling finish heading into Day 5. New Zealand, chasing 275 for victory, faced a challenging start and continued to lose wickets, particularly against the Sri Lankan spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Romesh Mendis. The spinners exploited the deteriorating pitch on day four to put pressure on the New Zealand batting lineup.
Rachin Ravindra delays Sri Lanka's win with gritty knock
At the close of Day 4's play, New Zealand were 207/8, still 68 runs behind their victory target, with Sri Lanka in a commanding position.
Rachin Ravindra played a crucial role for New Zealand, scoring 91 runs with nine fours and a six. However, his partner Ajaz Patel remained unbeaten on 0, having faced 15 deliveries. Earlier in the day, Ajaz Patel had bowled well, dismissing the lower order of the Sri Lankan batting lineup. Sri Lanka were all out for 309 runs. After a rest day on Saturday, September 21 due to the presidential election, Sri Lanka resumed their innings at 237/4. However, they suffered a batting collapse, with their last six batters contributing only 72 runs combined.
Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel played a crucial role in dismissing the Sri Lankan batting lineup. He removed Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Angelo Mathews, claiming five of the last six Sri Lankan wickets and finishing with impressive figures of 6/90.
New Zealand's chase faced early setbacks, with opener Devon Conway being dismissed. The tourists struggled to build partnerships, losing wickets at regular intervals.
Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, and Tom Blundell made promising starts but were unable to convert their innings into substantial scores. Although the target remains achievable for New Zealand, Sri Lanka will rely on their spinners to exploit the day five pitch and secure victory.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK
'He is as big as Virat Kohli...': Bangladesh veteran's ultimate praise for India's match-winner in Chennai Test
'A fantastic start..': Gautam Gambhir reacts to India's maiden Test win under his reign
