Sri Lanka put behind them some dropped catches stigma in the second test match to mount some brilliant cricket on their batting and bowling to bring down Bangladesh on their knees in the throes of defeat wobbling on 115 for 6 wickets by only the third day of the ICC World Championship cycle second Test match on Friday at the SSC on the grand of a first innings 458, the first innings 211 lead apparently a demoralizing factor to the visitors caving in on a day Dhananjaya de Silva with a 2-wicket strike including the prize wicket of Najmul Hossain Shanto and Prabath Jayasuriya too springing back to form from a slumber on a waning surface cashing in with 2 wickets including the key wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh’s most experienced campaigner.
When stumps were drawn, Bangladesh was still trailing by 96 runs with the cream of the batting gone except for wicket-keeper batsman Litton Das on 13, and staring at certain defeat with two more days of play remaining against a rearing Sri Lankan volcano set to put the icing on the cake when play resumes on Saturday.
After star batsman had propped up Sri Lanka’s first innings to 458 by a whirlwind 84 off 87 balls, Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva 2 for 13 and Prabath Jayasuriya 2 for 47 rattled Bangladesh’s frontline as the touring team lost both openers Anamul Haque and Shadman Islam with the score on 31 in the space of three balls. Quick Asitha Fernando sparked the collapse having Haque caught by substitute fielder Pavan Rathnayake for 19 and Prabath Jayasuriya reached his element following a lean period with the ball in the Galle test match which followed him in Bangladesh’s first innings in Colombo. He had Shadman Islam caught by Igalagamage which was followed by skipper Dhananjaya de Silva who had Monimul Haque playing a delivery into the waiting hands of Kamindu Mendis which was the fourth ball of the 19th over and when he beat the bat of his opposite number Najmul Hossain Shanto trapping him leg before wicket de Silva had struck a massive blow for Sri Lanka with Bangladesh in deep trouble with four wickets gone for 70 after 22.4 overs.
Prabath Jayasuriya came back into the attack 12 overs later bowling Mushfiqur Rahim with a peach of a delivery and Bangladesh was 100 for 5 after 37 overs. Mehidy Hasan Miraz was the sixth victim 15 runs later trapped leg before wicket by Tharindu Rathnayake. It was upheld on the review and Bangladesh faced certain defeat.
At the outset, the explosive Kusal Mendis lit up the day with an exhilarating 84 off 87 balls to taking Sri Lanka to 458 with Kamindu Mendis scoring 33 off 41 with 5 boundaries after overnight big man Pathum Nissanka departed early on on resumption added 12 to his 146 and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva was leg before wicket for 7 to Taijul Islam who took 5 for 131 with Nayeem Hasan 3 for 87.
But Dhananjaya rturned to shine with the ball dealing two quick blows.
Chief Scores
Bangladesh 247 and 115/6 (38.4 Overs)
(Mushfiqur Rahim 26, Najmul Hossain Shento 19, Monimul Haque 15, Mehidy Hasan 11, Litton Das n.o. 13, Dhananjaya de Silva 2/13, Prabath Jayasuriya 2/47, Tharindu Rathnayake 1/10, Asitha Fernando 1/22)
Sri Lanka 458 (116.5 Overs)
(Pathum Nissanka 158, Dinesh Chandimal 93, Kusal Mendis 84, Lahiru Udara 40,
Kmindu Mendis 33, Sonal Dinusha 11, Tharindu Rathnayake 10, Taijul Islam 5/131, Nayeem Hasan 3/87, Nahid Rana 1/94)