SL vs IRE, 2nd Test: Karunaratne, Madushka tons help Sri Lanka to 357 against Ireland on Day 3

Openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madushka hit centuries in a report opening stand as Sri Lanka amassed 357-1 on a rain-affected Day 3 of the second take a look at towards Ireland on Wednesday.

Karunaratne fell on the stroke of lunch after miscuing a pull shot for 115 off seamer Curtis Campher, however Madushka and Kusal Mendis continued the onslaught as Sri Lanka replied soundly to Ireland’s 492 earlier than a heavy downpour halted play shortly earlier than the tea break.

Madushka, who made simply 29 in Sri Lanka’s massive win within the first take a look at final week, seemed immovable alongside Kusal Mendis, who was unbeaten on 83.

The 24-year-old Madushka waved his bat and loved a hug from the skipper after mentioning his maiden take a look at century by hitting Harry Tector over the deep midwicket boundary.

Madushka, who survived on 131 when Irish skipper Andy Balbirnie dropped a sitter at first slip off off-spinner Andy McBirnie, hit 18 boundaries and a six in his masterful 149.

Karunaratne cracked his sixteenth profession ton and second within the collection following his 179 within the first match. Karunaratne reached his century off simply 116 balls — the quickest in his profession — earlier than making his solution to the dressing room with lunch within reach. His earlier quickest 100 got here off 123 balls towards South Africa in Johannesburg in 2021.

Karunaratne has scored 521 runs in six innings at 83.50, together with two centuries and three half-centuries, to date this 12 months. His 228-run opening stand with Madushka surpassed the earlier finest at Galle by Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu registered towards South Africa in 2000.

Madushka and Mendis have been concerned in an unfinished stand of 129 runs for the second wicket, with Mendis displaying nice aggression in accumulating runs. Mendis, who made 140 within the first take a look at, reached his half-century off simply 59 balls. He hit seven boundaries and 5 hits over the ropes, together with three consecutive sixes off Matthew Humphreys.

The Irish bowling assault seemed hapless for a lot of the Sri Lankan innings on an unusually onerous wicket in Galle.

With two days of play left, Sri Lanka now has the daunting job of pushing for what could be their one centesimal take a look at win since making the nation’s first look in 1982.