Sri Lanka 280 and 119 for five (Karunaratne 52, Dhananjaya 23*, Nahid 2-42) lead Bangladesh 188 (Taijul 47, Vishwa 4-48, Kumara 3-31) by 211 runs
Nahid Rana continued his wonderful debut, accounting for the wickets of Nishan Madushka and Kusal Mendis throughout a fiery opening spell. There was additionally lastly some pleasure for the spinners, with Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz eliminating Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, respectively.
However regardless of the most effective efforts of the Bangladesh bowling contingent, it was Sri Lanka’s seamers who ensured their facet can be ahead on the day after a disciplined and probing effort had been duly rewarded with the hosts being dismissed for 188 lower than an hour earlier than tea.
Kumara did the harm early within the day, sending three frontline batters packing earlier than lunch. The primary to go was Mahmudul Hasan Pleasure, who hadn’t seemed snug negotiating the seaming ball outdoors off and finally pushed too arduous at one which had somewhat additional bounce.
Shahadat Hossain too fell prey to that nagging size outdoors off, edging into the slip cordon, however Kumara saved his finest for Litton Das. Having bowled a pair prior that held its line outdoors off, he obtained one to jag again in and burst by means of bat and pad to crash into the stumps.
Litton had been wanting good up till that time, however his wicket simply an over earlier than lunch proved to be essential, because it ended an innings-best 41-run stand and introduced in regards to the final recognised batter – Mehidy – to the crease.
That stated, Taijul, who had come within the earlier night as a nightwatcher, was nonetheless in and wanting more and more extra assured. A few beautiful drives earlier within the day, combined in with surprisingly adept defensive resilience, had seen the spinner upstage his extra illustrious batting counterparts.
This was maybe borne out of him being extra conscious of his limitations, and thus much less more likely to take the bait being supplied by the Sri Lanka seamers outdoors off. However simply as Bangladesh would have been hoping he would carry on, he flashed at a large, full one from Rajitha and discovered the sting.
Mehidy then tried to defend Shoriful from the strike, however that technique necessitated a extra proactive strategy, and so he wound up getting a vanguard seeking to aggressively work a straight one by means of midwicket.
Sri Lanka might need been hoping to wrap up proceedings swiftly from then on, however each Shoriful and Khaled Ahmed determined to shed any pretence of dragging the innings additional and seemed to slog at any out there alternative. A few lusty blows off Jayasuriya had been the spotlight, whereas some lucky edges afforded runs even off the seamers.
Ultimately, Shoriful top-edged one too many, and Khaled fell shortly after, getting a thick edge on a swipe throughout the road. The pair’s 40-run stand got here off simply 35 deliveries, and given the issue with which runs subsequently obtained scored, would possibly show fairly invaluable within the grand scheme of the sport.
