At lunch on day four, there was just one question foremost on everyone’s mind: What target did Sri Lanka think was enough on a two-paced surface on which Zimbabwe had collapsed against spin to lose their last five wickets in the first innings for 19 runs.
Karunaratne nudged closer to a fifth Test century, while Gunaratne, with a fifty and century already in his first two Tests, further pressed his case for a middle-order berth when the regulars return, with a sturdy 39. The possible highlight in an otherwise uneventful session of attritional cricket was his crashing drive from the rough off Graeme Cremer.
Donald Tiripano picked up the lone wicket in the session when he had Gunaratne playing across the line to an in-dipper that would have crashed into the leg stump. Kusal Perera, out to an ugly hoick across the line in the first innings, was unbeaten on 10 at the interval as Sri Lanka went into the break on 177 for 5.
-ESPN
