'He's thinking about shots he'll play in the dressing room' - Joshua da Silva hilariously sledges Charith Asalanka during Galle Test

West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Joshua da Silva has been at the centre of attraction in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. In a hilarious moment in the second Test, the stump mic caught da Silva trying to get under the skin of young debutant Charith Asalanka, who was sent up the order in the second innings with not much time on Day 3 before stumps.

Da Silva, at his chirpy best, said: “He [Asalanka] is thinking about tomorrow already. All the shots he’s gonna play… in the dressing room.” Sri Lanka, by then, had already lost two wickets – opener Dimuth Karunaratne and No. 3 Oshada Fernando – to run-outs. Asalanka, meanwhile, perished to Veerasammy Permaul on the fourth morning for 19 off 55.

Earlier, da Silva evened things out with Dhanjaya de Silva, who had caught him at the first slip for 54 in the first Test. At the same venue in the second game, da Silva grabbed de Silva off Permaul to send him back cheaply. Mere moments before he completed the juggling catch, the stump mic caught da Silva making a cheeky remark, as he warned his Sri Lankan counterpart: “You catch me, I catch you – that’s how it works in cricket.

Good morning from Galle! It’s a beautiful day and we are all set for another @joshuadasilva08 masterclass. Here’s a taster from last night…keep entertaining, young man..a career in comedy awaits, 15 years down the line 😂😂😂 #SLvWI pic.twitter.com/Iyb7ibBKKd

— Hemant (@hemantbuch) December 2, 2021

“This series has been pretty interesting. It’s been a kind of a contest between de Silva and da Silva. That’s very interesting – da Silva is the West Indian; de Silva is the Sri Lankan,” the on-air commentator observed. “Da Silva returning the favour.”

Meanwhile, riding on de Silva’s eighth Test century, Sri Lanka have put themselves in a commanding position, as they lead West Indies by 278 runs at the end of Day 4, It is worth noting that West Indies have never won a Test in Sri Lanka, having toured the island nation for the first time in 1993.

They lost the first Test by 187 runs, and a victory in the second looks highly unlikely on a day-five track against the in-form Sri Lankan spinners, who have all been amongst the wickets in the series.