In a rain-affected morning session at Galle, New Zealand swiftly wrapped up Sri Lanka’s first innings before weather interruptions limited their batting response. At lunch on day two, the visitors stood at 5 for 0, trailing Sri Lanka by 300 runs.

Will O’Rourke, the rising star in New Zealand’s bowling attack, continued his impressive form from day one. The young pacer added two more wickets to his overnight tally, finishing with remarkable figures of 5 for 55. This performance marks O’Rourke’s second five-wicket haul in just four Test innings, underlining his rapidly growing stature in the international arena.

Sri Lanka, resuming at 302 for 7, could only add three runs to their overnight score before being bowled out for 305. O’Rourke’s morning spell saw him trap Ramesh Mendis LBW and then clean bowl Asitha Fernando, effectively bookending Sri Lanka’s innings. Veteran spinner Ajaz Patel also chipped in, deceiving Prabath Jayasuriya with a skidding delivery that caught the batsman deep in his crease.

However, the weather in Galle seemed determined to play spoilsport. A lengthy rain delay ate into about 45 minutes of the morning session, allowing only brief periods of play. New Zealand’s openers, Tom Latham and Devon Conway, faced just one over from Asitha Fernando before the heavens opened again, forcing an early lunch.

Conway managed to get off the mark with a boundary, while Latham opened his account with a single, leaving New Zealand at 5 for 0 when the players were forced off the field.

The forecast doesn’t look promising, with more rain expected throughout the day. However, officials have planned extended sessions to make up for lost time. The post-lunch session is scheduled for an extended two-and-a-half hours, while the final session of the day is set to run for two hours and 40 minutes, weather permitting.

Despite the interruptions, the match remains finely poised. Sri Lanka will be buoyed by Kamindu Mendis’s century (114) and Kusal Mendis’s half-century (50) from day one. However, with O’Rourke finding his rhythm and New Zealand’s batsmen eager to make their mark, an intriguing contest awaits – if the weather allows.