Herath’s Lions too good for the Tigers
View(s):Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh 1st Test
By S.R. Pathiravithana from the Galle International Stadium
It was one worst batting displays in recent times. Bangladesh started the chase with their heads up high and came in the morning session with determination on their faces, but, after a little after a session of play it was proved that it were the Lions who had the bite in them. Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 259 runs a little after the lunch break. As expected the hero of the game was skipper Rangana Herath himself.
First he justified the prolonged second inning of the Lankan batsmen. Then he proved that he was not afraid of the inclement weather. Then finally it was he who finished with the best figures of 6 for 59.
Bangladesh on their path had no zest in their quest.
Thumbs up from the jubilant skipper, who spearheaded Sri Lanka's win
Almost all the wickets that fell during that session and a little, were out because of meek batting. I wonder what was running through the professional head of Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe who stood to prove point during this tour. Now there is only one match left.
After the game Herath explained that with bowlers like Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan in his arsenal he was confident that he could run to victory in spite of the rain threat. He said “Still the wicket was good for batting, and the wicket was not spinning in squares, but, we knew against the backdrop of a 400 plus chase Bangladesh may flounder”.
Success follows skipper Rangana Herath, as he leads Sri Lanka to another Test victory - Pix by Amila Gamage
Bangladesh in their chase batted for 15 overs and ended up at 67 for no loss thus leaving themselves a task of scoring 390 runs in a day’s possible play. At the same time they were scoring at the plausible rate of 4.46 runs per over.
Yet, the heavy cloud cover looked ominous even in the at the initial stages of the day.
But, it was more ominous for the Bangladeshis when Asela Gunaratne found the edge of Sarkar’s bat as early as the second ball of the day. The Bangladesh plot began to fail further when Haque was trapped leg before by Perera for 9. Bangladesh lost a wicket and a review in one ball. Then it was the turn of Iqbal to take that long walk back. He was held at the slips by Gunaratne and it seemed that the home team could beat the rain and Bangladesh in one go.
The wicket seemed, as if it did not have any demons, just like the first four days, but, batting for 98 overs and making over 400 runs against a spin attack that contained Herath, Sandakan, Perera and Gunaratne was going be a tough asking on a day five old track. Unless a team is mentally well prepared, the batting is bound to crumble especially when you are playing on foreign soil; playing against an attack of this nature.
After the sudden rush of blood and purge of wickets, five wickets fell for soft dismissals, Bangladesh slumped from a healthy 67 for no loss to 157 for 5 at lunch. Meanwhile skipper Rahim along with wicketkeeper Lion Das brought sanity to the Bangladesh inning and the visitors ambled to lunch with Das not out on 32 and Rahim not out on 34.
Bangladesh opener Soumya Sakar is clean bowled by Asela Gunaratne
The post lunch session was a carbon copy of the first. This time the Chinaman Sandakan removed the Bangladesh skipper Rahim in the second ball of that session. The two batsmen had added 54 runs for the sixth wicket during that time.
With Das’ dismissal Herath (366) became the left-arm spinner with most number of wickets in Test history surpassing New Zealander Daniel Vettori (362 wickets).
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka 1st innings (494)
Bangladesh 1st innings (312)
Sri Lanka 2nd innings (274 for 6 declared)
Bangladesh 2nd innings (67 for 0 cont)
Tamim Iqbal c Gunaratne b Perera 19
(Playing forward and edging the ball)
Soumya Sarkar b Gunaratne 53
(Spins away, clips the top of off stump while playing defensively)
Mominul Haque lbw b Perera 5
(Half hearted plod caught in front)
Mushfiqur Rahim 34
(Trying to tickle on the on side, caught on the leg)
Shakib Al Hasan c Karunaratne b Herath 8
(Caught at slips while playing defensive)
Mahmudulla lbw b Herath 0
(Playing half hearted stroke; Herath’s arm ball)
Lion Das c Tharanga b Herath 35
(Trying for a hefty blow, gets a leading edge, caught at covers)
Mehedi Hasan c Kumara b Herath 28
(Hangs back and tries to defend, ball fires quicker than expected)
Taskin Ahmed c Mendis b Herath 5
(Playing defensively and held at short leg)
Mustafizur Rahman b Herath 0
(Beaten on all ends)
Subashis Roy not out 0
Extras (b1, lb4, nb4, w1) 10
Total (all out in 60.1 overs ) 197
Fall of wickets: 1-67 (Sarkar), 2-80(Haque) 3-83 (Iqbal)4-104 (Al Hasan) 5-104 (Mahmudulla), 6-158 (Rahim), 7-166(Das) 8-180 (Ahmed) 9-194 (Rahman) 10 -197 (Hasan)
Bowling: Suranga Lakmal 7-3-12-0, Dilruwan Perera 15-0-66-2, Rangana Herath 20.2-5-59-6, Asela Gunaratne 6-1-16-1, Lakshan Sandakan 9-0-29-1, Lahiru Kumara 3-0-10-0