Resolute batting by Amir Jangoo and captain Roston Chase kept the West Indies within reach of Sri Lanka's first innings total as the home side closed day two of the first test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua at 271 for five.
Sri Lanka, seeking their first-ever test series triumph in the Caribbean, were dismissed for 308 on the opening day.
Jangoo, playing in only his second test, will resume on the third morning on 78 in partnership with Chase (42 not out).
Their sixth-wicket stand has already added 103 important runs to the home side's effort after they were struggling at 168 for five heading into the final session of the day.
On a pitch playing slower and lower with each passing hour after offering considerable assistance to the faster bowlers early on the first day, the batting of Jangoo and Chase lacked flair, although their watchful determination was exactly what the West Indies needed to resurrect their innings after most of the top-order batting contributed to their own demise.
"While the wicket was really good, the bowlers were getting the ball to swing a lot, so once I was able to cope with that it was just about waiting for the balls in my area to score," said Jangoo in analysing his innings at the end of the day.
"I definitely had to restrain myself as a batter," he added. "Playing the longer format of the game you have to be a lot tighter, a lot more compact. It got easier with the time spent out there but that was only because of the work put in ahead of the series."
Sri Lanka suffered a significant setback at the start of the day when seamer Lahiru Kumara, only just returned from a lengthy period of recuperation from a leg injury, pulled up at the start of his second over and left the field.
In his absence, Asitha Fernando and Milan Rathnayaka shouldered the bulk of the work by the pacers while Sonal Dinusha's left-armers earned the tourists their only wicket via spin on the day.
ABYSMAL RUN
West Indies openers John Campbell and Brandon King looked completely at ease in a stand of 58 by the end of the first hour's play.
However, the first drinks break may have contributed to a lapse in concentration as King drove loosely to Rathnayaka to give a simple catch at short extra-cover.
Campbell's demise with his score on 39 came when the left-hander attempted to heave a delivery from Dinusha out of the ground and was taken at long-on for 39.
When Kavem Hodge played on to Rathnayaka, West Indies were unsteady at 102 for three just after lunch.
Jangoo then found a useful partner in his Trinidad and Tobago captain, Joshua da Silva, in putting on 52 runs for the fourth wicket until the wicketkeeper-batsmen was caught driving at cover off the persevering Fernando.
There was more success for Fernando on the stroke of tea when Justin Greaves, caught in two minds, pulled out of a shot too late and wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis came up with a good low catch to his right to shift the balance of play very much in favour of Sri Lanka.
Yet they were to be frustrated by the West Indies' sixth-wicket pair as Jangoo and Chase sought to eliminate risks in successfully avoiding the late clatter of wickets which has become a familiar feature of recent West Indies batting efforts, especially through most of a chastening 2025 when the Caribbean side lost eight of 10 test matches played.
That abysmal run extinguished any hope, however unlikely, of challenging for a top two spot in the current World Test Championship cycle.
For Sri Lanka, this second day of play will be a timely reminder of the enormity of the task they face away from the familiar confines of Colombo and Galle in their quest to make their WTC dream in 2027 a reality.
West Indies: Roston Chase (captain), John Campbell, Brandon King, Kavem Hodge, Amir Jangoo, Justin Greaves, Joshua da Silva (wicketkeeper), Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales.
Sri Lanka: Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis (wicketkeeper), Sonal Dinusha, Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha, Asitha Fernando.