Sri Lanka crush Bangladesh in second Test to seal series
Resuming the day on a precarious 115-6, the visitors still trailed by 97 runs and needed a minor miracle to avoid an innings defeat.
Any hopes of a rearguard were dashed almost immediately.
Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, under the pump after a wicketless outing in the first innings, struck gold with the fifth ball of the morning as Litton Das edged behind to wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis for 14.
With that scalp, the last recognised batter was back in the hut and Bangladesh's house of cards came tumbling down soon after, all out for 133.
It was a clinical all-round performance by hosts Sri Lanka, who walked away with crucial World Test Championship points.
None of the visiting batters managed to cross fifty in the match –- a far cry from the first Test in Galle, which ended in a draw when captain Najmul Hossain Shanto hit twin centuries.
Bangladesh had won the toss on a docile Colombo pitch but squandered the advantage, bundled out for 247.
Sri Lanka replied in commanding fashion, piling on 458 to take a hefty 211-run lead.
The foundation was laid by a masterclass from opener Pathum Nissanka, who crafted a fluent 158 –- his second successive century in the series -- while Dinesh Chandimal chipped in with a polished 93.
The pair added 194 runs for the second wicket, putting the game firmly in Sri Lanka's control.
Bangladesh threatened briefly when the second new ball brought them three quick wickets, but Kusal steadied the ship with a counterattacking 84, ensuring the hosts didn't let the momentum slip.
Nissanka, who was declared man of the match, said he was "very pleased with the effort".
"It feels good to contribute. I am now the senior opener with Dimuth Karunaratne retired and I try to do my best for the team," he said.
Bangladesh captain Shanto called it a "very disappointing game".
"We played really well in Galle but we were not up to the mark here," he said.
"The way we batted in the first innings is when things went wrong for us. A total of 247 was not good on this pitch.
"No harm with the decision to bat first. But the way we got out was very disappointing. One good thing was the way our bowlers kept fighting.
"That will be one positive we will take from this series."
The two sides will now shift focus to the limited-overs leg of the tour, with three one-day internationals and three T20s.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh first innings: 247 all out in 79.3 overs (Shadman Islam 46, Mushfiqur Rahim 35, Sonal Dinusha 3-22, Asitha Fernando 3-51)
Sri Lanka first innings: 458 all out in 116.5 overs (Pathum Nissanka 158, Dinesh Chandimal 93, Kusal Mendis 84, Taijul Islam 5-131)
© 2025 AFP
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