Opening batsman Pathum Nissanka led Sri Lanka’s superb response to Bangladesh’s big first-innings score, but narrowly missed out on a maiden double century. The hosts ended day three of the first Test at the Galle International Stadium trailing by just 127 runs.
Bangladesh’s last pair added only 11 runs this morning, lasting just 2.4 overs as the visitors were bowled out for 495. Asitha Fernando was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4 for 86, including the final wicket. Milan Rathnayake was economical and effective, finishing with 3 for 39 in 23.4 overs, while debutant Tharindu Rathnayake chipped in with three wickets despite an expensive outing. Notably, Prabath Jayasuriya went wicketless for the first time in his Test career.
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Sri Lanka made a brisk start with Pathum Nissanka and debutant Lahiru Udara at the top. Udara played positively, scoring just under a run a ball with six boundaries before falling to a return catch off Taijul Islam. The opening stand was broken at 47.
Nissanka then steadied the innings alongside Dinesh Chandimal, as the pair put together a fluent century stand for the second wicket. After reaching his half-century, Nissanka converted it into a big hundred — his third in Test cricket and his first at home.
Chandimal soon followed with his 33rd Test fifty, and their partnership crossed 150 before Nayeem Hasan removed Chandimal for 54, ending a superb 157-run stand.
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Angelo Mathews, playing in his farewell Test, joined Nissanka and added another 89 runs for the third wicket. During that stand, Nissanka brought up his maiden 150 in Tests. Mathews contributed 39 before Mominul Haque dismissed him, closing out the veteran’s first innings in his final Test.
Nissanka continued with composure and looked set for a maiden double hundred. However, the second new ball made an impact as Hasan Mahmud bowled him with a brilliant inswinger. The opener walked back for a career-best 187 off 256 balls, including 23 fours and a six, leaving Sri Lanka at 331 for 4.
Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva then batted cautiously to ensure there were no more setbacks. The pair saw out the day safely, with Sri Lanka closing on 368 for 4 after 93 overs.
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Like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh had to work hard for wickets. All bowlers except Nahid Rana claimed one apiece, with the visitors relying on patience on a flat Galle surface.
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadman Islam | c Dhananjaya de Silva b Tharindu Rathnayake | 14 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 26.42 |
| Anamul Haque | c Kusal Mendis b Asitha Fernando | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Mominul Haque | c Dhananjaya de Silva b Tharindu Rathnayake | 29 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 87.88 |
| Najmul Hossain Shanto | c Angelo Mathews b Asitha Fernando | 148 | 279 | 15 | 1 | 53.05 |
| Mushfiqur Rahim | lbw b Asitha Fernando | 163 | 350 | 9 | 0 | 46.57 |
| Liton Das | c Kusal Mendis b Tharindu Rathnayake | 90 | 123 | 11 | 1 | 73.17 |
| Jaker Ali | b Milan Rathnayake | 8 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Nayeem Hasan | c Kusal Mendis b Milan Rathnayake | 11 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 36.67 |
| Taijul Islam | b Milan Rathnayake | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 85.71 |
| Hasan Mahmud | not out | 7 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 46.67 |
| Nahid Rana | c Kusal Mendis b Asitha Fernando | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | 19 (b 8 , lb 5 , nb 2, w 4, pen 0) |
| Total | 495/10 (153.4 Overs, RR: 3.22) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asitha Fernando | 29.4 | 5 | 86 | 4 | 2.93 | |
| Milan Rathnayake | 23.4 | 6 | 39 | 3 | 1.67 | |
| Tharindu Rathnayake | 49.2 | 3 | 196 | 3 | 3.98 | |
| Prabath Jayasuriya | 48 | 2 | 154 | 0 | 3.21 | |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2.33 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | b Hasan Mahmud | 187 | 256 | 23 | 1 | 73.05 |
| Lahiru Udara | c & b Taijul Islam | 29 | 34 | 6 | 0 | 85.29 |
| Dinesh Chandimal | c Shadman Islam b Nayeem Hasan | 54 | 119 | 4 | 0 | 45.38 |
| Angelo Mathews | c Liton Das b Mominul Haque | 39 | 69 | 3 | 1 | 56.52 |
| Kamindu Mendis | b Hasan Mahmud | 87 | 148 | 7 | 1 | 58.78 |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | c Liton Das b Nayeem Hasan | 19 | 36 | 2 | 0 | 52.78 |
| Kusal Mendis | c Liton Das b Hasan Mahmud | 5 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 29.41 |
| Milan Rathnayake | b Nayeem Hasan | 39 | 83 | 3 | 1 | 46.99 |
| Tharindu Rathnayake | b Nayeem Hasan | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Prabath Jayasuriya | not out | 11 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 84.62 |
| Asitha Fernando | b Nayeem Hasan | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Extras | 11 (b 2 , lb 7 , nb 2, w 0, pen 0) |
| Total | 485/10 (131.2 Overs, RR: 3.69) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hasan Mahmud | 21 | 2 | 74 | 3 | 3.52 | |
| Nahid Rana | 19 | 0 | 97 | 0 | 5.11 | |
| Taijul Islam | 41 | 3 | 156 | 1 | 3.80 | |
| Nayeem Hasan | 43.2 | 4 | 121 | 5 | 2.80 | |
| Mominul Haque | 7 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 4.00 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadman Islam | lbw b Milan Rathnayake | 76 | 126 | 7 | 0 | 60.32 |
| Anamul Haque | c Kusal Mendis b Prabath Jayasuriya | 4 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Mominul Haque | c Lahiru Udara b Tharindu Rathnayake | 14 | 40 | 0 | 1 | 35.00 |
| Najmul Hossain Shanto | not out | 125 | 199 | 9 | 3 | 62.81 |
| Mushfiqur Rahim | run out (Tharindu Rathnayake) | 49 | 102 | 4 | 0 | 48.04 |
| Liton Das | b Tharindu Rathnayake | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 60.00 |
| Jaker Ali | st b | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28.57 |
| Nayeem Hasan | not out | 7 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 30.43 |
| Extras | 5 (b 4 , lb 1 , nb 0, w 0, pen 0) |
| Total | 285/6 (87 Overs, RR: 3.28) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asitha Fernando | 8 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 3.88 | |
| Prabath Jayasuriya | 29 | 3 | 92 | 1 | 3.17 | |
| Tharindu Rathnayake | 29 | 1 | 102 | 3 | 3.52 | |
| Milan Rathnayake | 12 | 4 | 26 | 1 | 2.17 | |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | 8 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 3.38 | |
| Kamindu Mendis | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2.00 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | c Najmul Hossain Shanto b Nayeem Hasan | 24 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 96.00 |
| Lahiru Udara | st Liton Das b Taijul Islam | 9 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 69.23 |
| Dinesh Chandimal | b Taijul Islam | 6 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 13.64 |
| Angelo Mathews | c Mominul Haque b Taijul Islam | 8 | 45 | 1 | 0 | 17.78 |
| Kamindu Mendis | not out | 12 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 34.29 |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | not out | 12 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 40.00 |
| Extras | 1 (b 0 , lb 1 , nb 0, w 0, pen 0) |
| Total | 72/4 (32 Overs, RR: 2.25) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hasan Mahmud | 3 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 6.33 | |
| Taijul Islam | 16 | 3 | 23 | 3 | 1.44 | |
| Nayeem Hasan | 13 | 1 | 29 | 1 | 2.23 | |
