West Indies win first Test series since 2023 after match with Sri Lanka ends in draw

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sri-lanka/zahH5UHg/"]Sri Lanka[/a] won the toss and elected to bat, ‌piling up 549-9 before declaring their first innings, with ‌opener [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kumara-lahiru/ljF8jX0j/"]Lahiru Udara[/a] top-scoring for the tourists with 188.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/west-indies/jTD1lMfO/"]West Indies[/a] ‌replied with 499, built on centuries from player-of-the-match [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/greaves-justin/2idM3PoH/"]Justin ‌Greaves[/a] (180) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hope-shai/0brws446/"]Shai Hope[/a] (112).[/p][p]Sri Lanka then declared their second innings on 251-9, but repeated rain delays denied either side the chance ‌of forcing a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/cricket/sri-lanka-zahH5UHg/west-indies-jTD1lMfO/?mid=dKMXsRFU"]decisive result in a ⁠high-scoring contest[/a]. The 1,408 ‌runs scored in the match are the most in a Test match ​involving West Indies and Sri Lanka.[/p][p]Having already won the opening Test at the same ground by ​an innings and 217 runs, West Indies claimed their first Test series triumph since 2023.[/p][p][b]"We sit down and we ⁠plan for this Test ​Championship and we said last year it was going to be tough and it was tough,"[/b] home captain Roston Chase said after West Indies' first victory in the current ‌World Test Championship cycle.[/p][embed guid="c47665e1-ccb3-4de5-bcbe-dd8d655584c5" url="https://x.com/windiescricket/status/2074621836348837889" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"But we said this year we think that the two series at home especially, these are series that we'll be looking to dominate and to win. So I just want the guys to continue from this and let this be a stepping stone."[/b][/p][p][b]"And not just leave it there and think, 'oh, we won one series and that's enough'. I think we need to ‌just have that consistency. I think winning games consistently, that ​would be great for us in terms of ‌growth."[/b][/p][p]Sri Lanka captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-silva-dhananjaya/S0pqz8PP/"]Dhananjaya de Silva[/a] conceded his spinners had drawn little help from the pitch.[/p][p][b]"How to take 20 wickets, that's the only thing in my mind when playing test cricket. For that we have to ⁠have that x-factor, to ⁠take wickets at anytime,[/b]" ‌he said.[/p]