Sri Lanka 238 for 7 (Chandimal 86*, Mustafizur 2-32, Mehedi 2-58) v Bangladesh
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Dinesh Chandimal brought up his 12th Test fifty, and played a sheet anchor’s role for Sri Lanka © Associated Press
Sri Lanka fought back in the last 75 minutes of the first day in Colombo, through an obdurate eighth-wicket partnership between Dinesh Chandimal and Rangana Herath, but Bangladesh claimed the day in their landmark 100th Test. Bad light stopped play at 5.16pm as dark clouds gathered over the P Sara Oval, with the home side on 238 for 7 in 83.1 overs.
Chandimal was unbeaten on 86 off 210 balls with four fours, in a great display of solidity against a Bangladesh attack that consistently threatened. Mustafizur Rahman and Mehedi Hasan took two wickets each, while Subashis Roy, Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam backed them up with controlled bowling and took a wicket apiece.
Bangladesh began well as Mustafizur had Dimuth Karunaratne driving away from the pitch of the ball to edge one to Mehedi at gully in the ninth over of the day. With the ball in hand, Mehedi then got right into the game with the wickets of Kusal Mendis and Upul Tharanga.
Having run past Mehedi’s drifter, Mendis was stumped by Mushfiqur Rahim who took over wicket-keeping duties after designated keeper Liton Das injured his rib two days before the game. Tharanga then punched at a classic offspinner’s delivery and was pouched easily by Soumya Sarkar at slip.
Subashis Roy then claimed the morning session for Bangladesh when he trapped Asela Gunaratne leg-before for 13, leaving the home side at 70 for 4 at lunch.
Dhananjaya de Silva struck five boundaries in an assertive 54-ball 34, but his stay was cut short when he missed a pull off Taijul, only to be clean bowled as the tea break approached. Sri Lanka scored 79 runs for the loss of one wicket in the second session with Chandimal playing the anchor’s role. He brought up his 12th Test fifty in the session but did not hit a single boundary.
Bangladesh kept creating chances after lunch, too. Mushfiqur didn’t collect what looked like an inside-edge from Chandimal off Subashis’ bowling after lunch but replays confirmed the ball had deflected from the back leg. Then, in the 39th over, bowled by Shakib, the on-field umpire’s decision was overturned after replays found no inside-edge from Chandimal’s bat. In the 45th over, Chandimal top-edged a sweep off Taijul and Mehedi’s effort from long-leg to collect the catch was denied as replays were inconclusive to show the catch was taken cleanly. Bangladesh, however, removed de Silva soon after that chance, breaking a 66-run partnership.
Sri Lanka began the third session positively, taking four fours off Subashis but Shakib soon made up for it, removing Niroshan Dickwella, who had three of those boundaries, for 34.
Mustafizur’s second wicket was Dilruwan Perera, who also chased a wide one, and was caught at second slip by Soumya. Herath survived a leg-before decision, after replays showed the ball had hit his glove, but this did not deter Bangladesh, who continued to bowl good to fuller lengths with both seam and spin, creating chances almost every few overs.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo