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Monday May 06, 2024

Seamers put Sri Lanka in control as Bangladesh chase 280

Bangladesh finished the day 32-3, trailing Sri Lanka by 248 runs

By REUTERS
March 23, 2024
Bangladeshs Taijul Islam (L) and Mahmudul Hasan Joy walk back to the pavilion at the end of the first day of the first Test cricket match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet on 22 March, 2024. — AFP
Bangladesh's Taijul Islam (L) and Mahmudul Hasan Joy walk back to the pavilion at the end of the first day of the first Test cricket match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet on 22 March, 2024. — AFP

SYLHET: Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis both hit knocks of 102 to help Sri Lanka post 280 in their first innings before their seamers rattled Bangladesh on the opening day of the first Test in Sylhet on Friday.

Bangladesh finished the day 32-3, trailing Sri Lanka by 248 runs, with Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajitha striking early in the innings for the visitors.

Fernando trapped opener Zakir Hasan (nine) and Najmul Hossain (five) lbw with identical in-swinging deliveries, while Rajitha got Mominul Haque caught for five. Opener Mahmudul Hasan survived the day on nine alongside Taijul Islam, who was yet to open scoring.

De Silva and Mendis fought back with their 202-run stand for the fifth wicket, helping Sri Lanka recover from a precarious 57-5 after a pace demolition of their top order. “I think they got too many when we had them five down,” Bangladesh pace bowling coach Andre Adams told reporters.

“It’s a good surface. There are no demons. There’s a bit of bounce and carry. We have to be much better with the bat.” Khaled Ahmed and Nahid Rana took three wickets apiece for Bangladesh, who opted to bowl first on a green surface.

De Silva and Kamindu asserted their dominance after lunch to help Sri Lanka rebuild a respectable innings. “It wasn’t easy to bat on this track,” Kamindu said afterwards. “We were 57 for five. We discussed that we should bat long. We should settle down first and then keep going. That’s what we did in the middle.”

Kamindu reached his maiden Test century off 126 balls with a four through the covers off Rana but fell on the next ball, edging a catch to Liton Das off Rana.

Skipper de Silva was soon to follow after trying and failing to hook Rana off a short ball, following a charging innings featuring 12 fours and a six. Khaled gave Sri Lanka an early fright after seeing off the top order, forcing opener Nishan Madushka (2) to offer a catch to Mehidy Hasan at third slip at the end of the second over.

Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis made 37 runs for the second wicket before Khaled struck again when Mendis knocked the pacer’s delivery to Zakir Hasan at gully. Mendis departed on 16, and Khaled bowled Karunaratne with an in-swinger in the same over for 17.

Najmul ran out Angelo Mathews for just five with a direct-hit to compound Sri Lanka’s early woes. Shoriful Islam joined the party when he removed Dinesh Chandimal for nine, with Mehidy grabbing his second catch of the morning down low at leg slip. The second and final match of the series will be played in Chittagong from March 30.

Bangladesh won the toss

Sri Lanka 1st innings

Madushka c Mehidy b Khaled 2

Karunaratne b Khaled 17

Mendis c Zakir b Khaled 16

Mathews run out Najmul 5

Chandimal c Mehidy b Shoriful 9

Silva c Mehidy b Nahid 102

Mendis c Litton b Nahid 102

Jayasuriya Das b Nahid 1

Rajitha not out 6

Fernando c Litton b Taijul 9

Kumara run out Shoriful 0

Extras: 2b 4lb 5nb 0pen 0w 11

Total: (68.0 overs) all out 280

Fall of Wickets: 1-3 Fernando, 2-40 Mendis, 3-41 Karunaratne, 4-47 Mathews, 5-57 Chandimal, 6-259 Mendis, 7-264 de Silva, 8-265 Jayasuriya,

9-278 Fernando, 10-280 Kumara

Bowling: Shoriful Islam 14-0-59-1, Khaled Ahmed 17-2-72-3, Nahid Rana 14-2-87-3, Taijul Islam 13-6-31-1-, Mehidy Hasan 10-1-25-0,

Bangladesh 1st innings

Hasan Joy not out 9

Hasan lbw Vishwa Fernando 9

Shanto lbw Vishwa Fernando 5

Haque c Mendis b Kasun Rajitha 5

Isla not out 0

Extras: 0b 3lb 0nb 0pen 1w 4

Total: (10.0 overs) 32-3

Fall of Wickets : 1-11 Hasan, 2-17 Shanto, 3-31 Haque

Bowling: Vishwa Fernando 5-1-9-2, Kasun Rajitha 5-1-20-1

Umpires: Chris Gaffaney, Richard Illingworth