Sri Lanka edged closer to registering a mammoth win over Bangladesh in the second Test match at stumps on Day 3 at the SSC Grounds, Colombo.
In reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 458, Bangladesh were in dire straits at 115/6, with two more days remaining and still trailing by 96 runs.
The first Test between the two teams ended in a draw in Galle last week.
Resuming Day 3 on 290 for 2, Sri Lanka lost four wickets in the opening session, giving a glimmer of hope to the visitors.
After the visitors took the new ball at the end of the 80th over, Nissanka fell to a soft dismissal—pushing it straight to extra cover off Taijul Islam—ending his mammoth knock of 158.
Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva played for a ball expecting it to turn, but it went on with the arm and trapped the Lankan captain plumb in front.
Nightwatchman, Prabath Jayasuriya edged to third slip as seamer Nahid Rana used his pace and bounce to extract some assistance from the surface.
Kamindu Mendis looked in fine touch, scoring five boundaries, but he was caught rooted to the crease as the tall, lanky off-spinner Nayeem Hasan bowled a perfect arm-ball to dismiss him for 33 runs.
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Wicket-keeper batter Kusal Mendis played exceptionally well, extending Sri Lanka’s lead to 211 with a responsible knock of 84 off 87 balls while batting with the tail.
Mendis attempted to sneak in a second run and was run out. He dived to save his wicket but injured his shoulder in the process, which kept him out of the field throughout Bangladesh’s second innings on Day 3. Sri Lanka’s first innings total
Bangladesh openers began their resurgence by adding 31 runs in the half-hour they had to survive before the Tea break. However, in the last over before Tea, Asitha Fernando removed Anamul Haque.
After the Tea break, Prabath Jayasuriya dismissed opener Shadman Islam, who nicked behind to a delivery that went on with the arm.
Partnering with Jayasuriya, skipper Dhananjaya de Silva took two key wickets—Mominul Haque and Najmul Hossain Shanto. First, it was Haque, caught at first slip, while Shanto was trapped LBW by De Silva.
Jayasuriya, who had a forgettable outing in Galle and in the first innings of this match, broke through the defense of the dangerous Mushfiqur Rahim with a stunning delivery that spun in from the middle stump line and rattled Rahim’s stumps.
Ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Rathnayake trapped Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the final over of the day to put more misery in the Bangladesh innings as Sri Lanka picked up 5 wickets in the final session.
Brief Scores
Bangladesh – 247 (79.3) Shadman Islam 46, Mushfiqur Rahim 35, Litton Das 34, Taijul Islam 33, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 31, Sonal Dinusha 3/22, Asitha Fernando 3/51, Vishwa Fernando 2/45
Sri Lanka – 458 (116.5) Pathum Nissanka 158, Dinesh Chandimal 93, Lahiru Udara 40, Kamindu Mendis 33, Kusal Mendis 84, Nayeem Hasan 3/87, Taijul Islam 5/131
Bangladesh (2nd Innings) – 115/6 (38.4) Mushfiqur Rahim 26, Prabath Jayasuriya 2/47, Dhananjaya De Silva 2/13
Day 3 – Stumps, Bangladesh trail by 96 runs.
