Sri Lanka crush Bangladesh in second Test to seal series
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka completed a thumping innings and 78-run victory over Bangladesh before lunch on day four of the second Test in Colombo on Saturday, wrapping up the two-match series 1-0.
Resuming the day on a precarious 115 for six, the visitors still trailed by 97 runs and needed a minor miracle to avoid an innings defeat.
But 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.
Kusal Mendis steers Sri Lanka to commanding lead over Bangladesh
It was a clinical all-round performance by Sri Lanka, who walked away with crucial World Test Championship points in the process.
The two sides will now shift focus to the limited-overs leg of the tour, with three One-Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals to follow.
In the second Test, none of the visiting batters managed to cross fifty – a far cry from their first Test showing in Galle which ended in a draw on June 21 when captain Najmul Hossain Shanto secured twin centuries.
Bangladesh had won the toss on a docile pitch but squandered the advantage, bundled out for 247.
Sri Lanka replied in commanding fashion, piling on 458 to take a hefty 211-run first-innings 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 Mendis steadied the ship with a counterattacking 84, ensuring the hosts didn't let the momentum slip.
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Business Recorder
8 hours ago
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Sri Lanka crush Bangladesh in second Test to seal series
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka completed a thumping innings and 78-run victory over Bangladesh before lunch on day four of the second Test in Colombo on Saturday, wrapping up the two-match series 1-0. Resuming the day on a precarious 115 for six, the visitors still trailed by 97 runs and needed a minor miracle to avoid an innings defeat. But 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. Kusal Mendis steers Sri Lanka to commanding lead over Bangladesh It was a clinical all-round performance by Sri Lanka, who walked away with crucial World Test Championship points in the process. The two sides will now shift focus to the limited-overs leg of the tour, with three One-Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals to follow. In the second Test, none of the visiting batters managed to cross fifty – a far cry from their first Test showing in Galle which ended in a draw on June 21 when captain Najmul Hossain Shanto secured twin centuries. Bangladesh had won the toss on a docile pitch but squandered the advantage, bundled out for 247. Sri Lanka replied in commanding fashion, piling on 458 to take a hefty 211-run first-innings 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 Mendis steadied the ship with a counterattacking 84, ensuring the hosts didn't let the momentum slip.
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Kusal Mendis steers Sri Lanka to commanding lead over Bangladesh
COLOMBO: Kusal Mendis struck a rapid 84 to put Sri Lanka in a commanding position on the third day of the second Test against Bangladesh at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Friday. The aggressive wicketkeeper-batsman clubbed his runs from 87 balls, striking eight fours and two sixes, as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 458, taking with an imposing first innings lead of 211. Visitors Bangladesh, who chose to bat first after winning the toss on Wednesday, were bowled out for a modest 247 in their first innings. Resuming on a strong overnight platform of 290-2, Sri Lanka wobbled before lunch, losing four wickets in the morning session, three of them to the second new ball. But Kusal Mendis dug in his heels steering Sri Lanka past the 450-run mark before running himself out, ninth wicket down, going for an unlikely second run. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam wrapped up the innings four balls later to finish with 5-131, his 17th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Bangladesh's first breakthrough on the third day of the game came in just the sixth over of the day when Taijul Islam, handed the new ball, induced a loose drive from century-maker Pathum Nissanka, who chipped it tamely to short cover. New ICC rules target slow play, saliva use, two new balls, and DRS tweaks It was a soft end for the in-form opener, who hit a sublime 158 after a career-best 187 in the first Test in Galle. Taijul followed up with the wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva leg before for seven and when Nahid Rana had Prabath Jayasuriya edging to Mehidy Hasan Miraz at third slip for 10, Sri Lanka had slipped to 335-5. Kamindu Mendis made 33 during a sixth wicket partnership of 49 with Kusal Mendis who rallied the tail to put Sri Lanka firmly in control. Brief scores: Bangladesh: 247 (Shadman Islam 46, Mushfiqur Rahim 35; Sonal Dinusha 3-22, Asitha Fernando 3-51) Sri Lanka: 458 (Pathum Nissanka 158, Dinesh Chandimal 93, Kasul Mendis 84; Taijul Islam 5-131, Nayeem Hasan 3-87)
