A day that started out as a battle of attrition, and then morphed into one painted with hope, ended far closer to resignation for Sri Lanka, as an unbroken 174-run fifth-wicket stand between Shai Hope and Justin Greaves all but averted the potential of defeat for West Indies.

The hosts ended day three still 231 runs behind Sri Lanka’s first innings total, but they were crucially just 31 runs away from avoiding the follow-on – though that was only ever a fleeting possibility, and one decisively extinguished by Hope and Greaves.

The pair had come together with the West Indies in a fair bit of bother at 141 for 4, after Prabath Jayasuriya‘s post-lunch spell had brought about the wickets of both Amir Jangoo and Kavem Hodge.

Early on in their stand strike rotation was key, with both batters at ease using their wrists to access the wicket square on either side. And then gradually hints of aggression began to appear, such as a crunching cut through point or an exquisite whip through the on side.

Most impressive in their partnership was the lack of risk. There was an early run-out opportunity, where a direct hit from mid-on would have seen Greaves well short, but aside from that it was largely a chanceless outing from a pair of batters that have moved in lockstep right throughout their respective innings.

At stumps, Hope was on 86 off 173 and Greaves right behind on 85 off 162, their control percentages too nearly mirroring each other on 89% and 87% respectively. Their dominance was exemplified by a first wicketless third session of the Test, and the first in this West Indies innings.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers toiled, and did well to stay disciplined on a surface that only offered sporadic moments of assistance, but with a 1-0 series lead in the bank, West Indies were allowed to play safe in the knowledge that the onus for making things happen would fall on the Sri Lankans.

This was reflected in the 2.86 innings run rate, one that never really budged even with the ease with which Hope and Greaves had begun to navigate proceedings. Sri Lanka’s only genuine moment of hope had arrived shortly after lunch.

Three overs after the resumption, Jangoo fell foul to the rough outside the left-hander’s off stump, as one from Jayasuriya spun back sharply to take the inside edge and pop up to short leg. Two Jayasuriya overs later and Hodge’s stubborn vigil was brought to an end too, as the wily left-armer produced a bit of magic, getting one to dip and turn to feather an outside edge through to the keeper on an attempted forward defence.

At that point Sri Lanka knew they were just a couple of wickets away from really making inroads towards a series-levelling victory. In his brief stand with Hodge, Hope had found the strike easy to rotate but was starved of strike for lengthy periods owing to Hodge’s more obdurate approach.

But in Greaves Hope found a partner much more similarly aligned in philosophy, and the pair slowly but surely began easing the pressure back on the Sri Lankans. Their intervention came at a pivotal point, just as Sri Lanka had been gathering momentum after persevering through a dour first two hours of play.

The visitors had fought discipline with discipline in the morning session, as the pair of John Campbell and Hodge put together an 89-run stand off a marathon 234 deliveries – it was a throwback to Test cricket of yesteryear, one brought about by a surface that didn’t possess any demons but also one not flat enough for batters to take on the bowling.

It was Sri Lanka though that came out on top after nearly two hours of stonewalling, as Campbell’s patience finally gave way to a rash pull off Asitha Fernando that went straight to deep midwicket, less than 15 minutes before lunch. He had shown a proclivity towards taking on the short ball prior, and it was that sole avenue of aggression Sri Lanka wisely – and successfully – managed to target.

It was just reward for a session in which Sri Lanka’s seam trio of Asitha, Isitha Wijesundara and Milan Rathnayake had metronomically tested the West Indian batters on a strict line outside off.

Jayasuriya too bowled a spell of 10 overs in the morning as the ball got softer, but it was after the break he came into his own – though that will feel like a lifetime ago following yet another string West Indian stand.