Lahiru Udara staged a grand comeback to Test cricket by hammering a stunning 188 to help Sri Lanka bag the opening day honours in the second Test against West Indies in Antigua. Udara shared a double-century stand with Kamindu Mendis as Sri Lanka reached 338/5 at stumps on Day 1.

Sri Lanka, forced to make three changes to their XI due to injuries, opted to bat first. Nishan Madushka smashed the second ball of the game for a boundary to get things going. He didn't last long though as Shamar Joseph got rid of the opener before sending Dinesh Chandimal back to the pavilion just a few overs later. On both occasions, the batters hit ordinary deliveries straight to the fielder to make the long walk back.

Udara and Kaminu had a rebuilding job to do as a result but they did not go into a shell. Udara in particular looked in great touch in smashing boundaries at will, bringing up his fifty off just 59 balls in the process. There was no stopping the run flow even after the lunch break as Sri Lanka continued their recovery to slowly take control of the game. Udara even put away a waist length full toss from Alzarri Joseph for a six to move into the 80s and eventually bring up a stunning century with his third six of the innings. The carnage continued as Udara hit his fourth six in the very next over and Kamindu followed that up with three boundaries in the next.

This boundary-laden period ensured the run rate comfortably surpassed five for Sri Lanka as West Indies desperately searched for that breakthrough to stem the flow of runs. By the time it arrived, these two batters registered the highest partnership for any wicket by a Sri Lankan pair against West Indies. Kamindu lost his balance to a delivery that was bowled down leg and Shai Hope pulled off a very good stumping against the run of play. While Kamindu missed his ton by 16 runs, Udara continued to make merry in the company of skipper Dhananjaya de Silva who had already hammered a century in the first Test.

Dhananjaya and Udara piled on more misery on the hosts with a 93-run partnership. Udara brought up his 150 with a boundary and looked set to add 50 more before the end of the day's play. A fifth six from his bat saw Sri Lanka breeze past 300 but just three balls before the second new ball was due, Udara top edged one to fall 12 short of a double ton. And just two balls after taking the red cherry, West Indies struck again with an outswinger from Seales taking the outside edge of the Sri Lankan skipper. With both set batters back in the pavilion just before stumps, West Indies will fancy their chances of staging a comeback on the second day but Sri Lanka already have 338 on the board.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 338/5 (Lahiru Udara 188, Kamindu Mendis 84; Shamar Joseph 2-60) vs West Indies