Bangladesh on back foot after Lankan run feast
Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella (R) celebrates with his teammates after the dismissal of Bangladeshi opener Tamim Iqbal (L). Sri Lanka is aiming for victory as the final day approaches - AFP
(AFP Feb 3) Sri Lanka spinners led by Rangana Herath took three crucial wickets late into day four to leave Bangladesh with an uphill task of saving the opening Test in Chittagong on Saturday.
Bangladesh reached 81-3 at stumps, still needing 119 to make Sri Lanka bat again. The visitors declared their first innings at 713-9 in the final session.
Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera dismissed Imrul Kayes for 19 before left-arm unorthodox bowler Lakshan Sandakan got Tamim Iqbal caught behind for 41.
Herath then removed Mushfiqur Rahim for two with his left-arm spin in the last over of the day.
Mominul Haque — 18 not out — was at the crease when the players walked back after another run-filled day.
Sri Lanka declared their innings in the third over into the final session with a lead of 200 runs in response to Bangladesh’s first innings total of 513.
Sri Lanka's Roshen Silva reacts after scoring his maiden century during the fourth day of the first Test match against Bangladesh in Chittagong - AFP
Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, who returned figures of 4-219, took two wickets off his successive overs to wrap up the Sri Lankan innnings. Taijul got the all-important wicket of skipper Dinesh Chandimal for 87 off before off-spinner Mehedi Hasan removed Niroshan Dickwella for 62 to slow down the Sri Lankan progress.
Debutant left-arm spinner Sunzamul Islam got his maiden Test wicket, trapping Dilruwan Perera leg-before for 32.
Roshen Silva joined the run fest in the morning session to post his maiden Test century after Sri Lanka resumed on 504-3.
He made 109 off 230 balls before becoming the first batsman dismissed on the day.
Silva was Sri Lanka’s third century maker of the innings after Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva, who made 196 and 173 runs respectively. Mehedi ended Silva’s impressive innings when the right-hander edged a low delivery to wicketkeeper Liton Das.
Silva shared a 135-run stand with Chandimal for the fourth wicket and hit six fours and a six.
Scoreboard
Bangladesh first innings 513 (Mominul Haque 176, Mushfiqur Rahim 92, Mahmudullah 83 not out; S. Lakmal 3-68, R. Herath 3-150)
Sri Lanka first innings (overnight 504-3)
D. Karunaratne c Kayes b Mehedi 0
K. Mendis c Mushfiqur b Taijul 196
D. De Silva c Liton b Mustafizur 173
R. Silva c Liton b Mehedi 109
D. Chandimal b Taijul l 87
N. Dickwella c Liton b Mehedi 62
D. Perera lbw b Sunzamul 32
R. Herath lbw b Taijul 24
S. Lakmal b Taijul 9
L. Kumara not out 2
Extras (b11, lb6, w 2) 19
Total (9 wkts declared; 199.3 overs) 713
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Karunaratne), 2-308 (de Silva), 3-415 (Mendis), 4-550 (Silva), 5-613 (Chandimal), 6-663 (Dickwella), 7-687 (Perera), 8-706 (Lakmal), 9-713 (Herath)
Did not bat: L. Sandakan
Bowling: Mustafizur 32-6-113-1, Sunzamul 45-2-153-1, Mehedi 49-4-174-3, Taijul 67.3-13-219-4, Mosaddek 3-0-24-0, Mominul Haque 2-0-6-0, Mahmudullah 1-0-7-0
Bangladesh second innings:
Tamim Iqbal c Dickwella b Sandakan 41
Imrul Kayes c Chandimal b Perera 19
Mominul Haque not out 18
Mushfiqur Rahim c Mendis b Herath 2
Extras (nb1) 1
Total (three wickets, 26.5 over) 81
Fall of wickets: 1-52 (Kayes), 2-76 (Tamim), 3-81 (Mushfiqur)
To bat: Mahmudullah, Liton Das, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehedi Hasan, Taijul Islam, Sunzamul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman
Bowling: Herath 6.5-0-22-1, Lakmal 4-0-16-0, de Silva 6-0-20-0, Perera 7-1-20-1, Sandakan 3-1-3-1
Toss: Bangladesh
Umpires: Rod Tucker (AUS), Marais Erasmus (RSA)