Photo : Collected
Bangladesh stumbled to 32 runs for the loss of three wickets at the conclusion of day one of the Sylhet Test on Friday (22 March). This came after Sri Lanka posted 280 runs in their first innings, with Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis orchestrating a remarkable recovery from 57 for five.
In response to Sri Lanka's total, Bangladesh lost Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Mominul Haque. Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Taijul Islam remained unbeaten on 9 and 0 respectively. Vishwa Fernando claimed two wickets, while Kasun Rajitha took one.
For Sri Lanka, Captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis displayed exceptional resilience, forging a formidable partnership of 202 runs for the sixth wicket, with both batters notching up centuries.
Despite Bangladesh's initial dominance, Sri Lanka proved resilient, surviving numerous attempts to break the partnership. The early stages of the match hinted at Bangladesh's fortunes favoring them, especially with the overcast conditions providing assistance to their pacers.
Sri Lanka suffered early setbacks, losing their first wicket in the second over when Mehidy Hasan Miraz took a stunning catch at third slip. Even before posting 50 runs on the board, they lost four wickets. They lost the veteran Angelo Mathews before lunch too.
However, the partnership between Dhananjaya and Kamindu thwarted Bangladesh's hopes of a swift conclusion to Sri Lanka's innings. The breakthrough eventually came from Nahid Rana, the debutant pacer, who dismissed both centurions with his pace and bounce.
Kamindu fell to a back-of-length delivery outside off, edging it to wicketkeeper Litton Das, while Dhananjaya's innings ended with a catch at square leg by Mehidy off short ball. Both batters scored 102 runs each before Nahid claimed his third wicket by removing Prabath Jayasuriya.
Sri Lanka finished their innings at 280 runs. Despite their recovery from a precarious position at 57 for 5, they might rue missed opportunities to score more, considering their score of 259 for 5.
Khaled Ahmed and Nahid Rana were the standout performers for Bangladesh, claiming three wickets each, while Shoriful Islam and Taijul Islam contributed with two wickets apiece, with two dismissals coming from run-outs.
Messenger/Sumon
