Sri Lanka reduced Bangladesh to 220 for 8 wickets on the opening day of the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club Grounds in what might have been a calamity for the tourists had Lahiru Udara latched to a head high flying catch by Mushfiqur Rahim off Vishva Fernando having precipitated to 70 for 4 following the early strikes by Asitha Feranndo who bowled Anamul Haque for 4, and Dhananjaya de Silva, the Lankan skipper having Monimul Haque caught by substitute fielder Pavan Rathnayake for 21 reducing the opposition to 43 for 3. which would have taken the cream frontline Vishva Fernando having already claimed the prize wicket of the skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto cheapy for 8 caught behind.
Sri Lanka as let down by as m Litton Das caught behind by Kusal Mendis with the fifth ball .any as five dropped catches as the fifth wicket pair of Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das threatened to wrest back the initiative when the visitors were wobbling in the 70 for 4 precipitation on an usually batting friendly surface having batted first on winning the toss with Udara failing to hold on to just over head high in the deep off fast bowler Vishwa Fernando who generated movement off the wicket using his height to good effect having replaced Milan Rathnayake. had accounted for the prize wicket of the Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto edging a moving delivery to wicket keeper Kusal Mendis which reduced Bangladesh to 76 for 4 after 28 overs in the wake of Asitha Fernando having clean bowled Anamul Haque with a beauty of a delivery for a duck with Bangladesh on 5 off the second delivery of the fifth over.
Early on skipper Dhananjaya de Silva removed Mominul Haque caught by substitute fielder Pavan Rathnayake for 21 with the score on 43.
Debutant spinner Sonal Dinusha, the last to be introduced to the attack sixth change struck for Sri Lanka with a pleasingly quick smooth left arm orthodox action. He had of the 48th over for his maiden wicket. The 24-year old couldn’t have looked for a better start to his test career eft arm orthodox bowler as he had Litton Das caught behind by Kusal Mendis and following it up by removing Mushfqur Rahim caught by Vishva Fernando for 35 off 75 balls with 5 boundaries with Bangladesh 6 for 160 after 54 overs.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz resisted for 42 balls for 31 with 3 boundaries taken out by Vishwa Fernando holing to Kamindu Mendis and Nayeem Hasan 51 balls for 25 bowled by Asitha Fernando as Bangladesh dipped to 220 for 8 by the 71st over on a rain interrupted first day.
Vishwa Fernando and Asitha Fernando too 2 wickets apiece.
Bangladesh 220 for 8 71 Overs
(Shadman 46, Mushfiqur 35, Sonal Dinusha 2/22, Vishwa Fernando 2/35, Asitha Fernando 2/43, Dhananjaya de Silva 1/15, Tharindu Rathnayake 1/63)