Sri Lanka 238 for 7 after Day-1

When bad light compelled umpires to call stumps on day-1, Sri Lanka reached 238 for 7 in 83.1 overs against Bangladesh during the second Test of the series at P Sara Oval, Colombo today.

The unbeaten 8th wicket partnership between Dinesh Chandimal and Rangana Herath of 43 runs in 18.3 overs kept the Bangladesh bowlers at bay during the last session. Chandimal was batting on 86 from 210 and Herath 18 from 63 when the players left the field for the day.

For Bangladesh, five bowlers managed to give their team breakthroughs on a placid track at Colombo today. Mustafizur Rahman took 2-32 in 15 while Mehedi Hasan Miraz chipped in with 2-58 in 15 overs.

Imrul Kayes suffered a knock at short leg in the 76th over. After the physio came out, Imrul limped off the field.

Shakib Al Hasan nearly saw the back of Herath in the 68th over. Shakib appealed and Aleem Dar raised his finger. However, DRS came to the rescue of Herath and the on-field call was overturned.

Earlier, Mustafizur Rahman struck soon after Shakib as he removed Dilruwan Perera for 9 to leave the hosts struggling at 195 for 7 in 64.4 overs.

Fizz came back into the attack and provided the breakthrough his captain wanted. Dilruwan was induced into a drive outside off. The edge carried to first slip where Soumya didn’t make any mistake. The batter could have left the ball alone…

MDK Perera c Soumya Sarkar b Mustafizur Rahman 9 (20b 0x4 1x6) SR: 45.00

Fall of wicket 195/7 (64.4 ov); Partnership: 15 runs, 5.3 overs, RR: 2.72 (Perera 9, Chandimal 6)

Shakib Al Hasan gave Bangladesh their sixth wicket when he dismissed Niroshan Dickwella during the last session of day-1.

The sixth wicket stand between Niroshan and Dinesh Chandimal that began to frustrate Bangladesh was stopped at 44 as Shakib bowled Niroshan for 34.

Shakib bowled it full on leg stump from around the stumps. The batter tried to be too cheeky and looked to reverse sweep past point. As he missed the ball, it cannoned into the stumps.

N Dickwella b Shakib Al Hasan 34 (37b 4x4 0x6) SR: 91.89

Fall of wicket 180/6 (59.1 ov); Partnership: 44 runs, 11.5 overs, RR: 3.71 (Chandimal 8, Dickwella 34)

Sri Lanka reached 149 for 5 in 54 overs at tea.

Dinesh Chandimal was 54 not out and Niroshan Dickwella unbeaten on 11 when the players left the field for tea. 79 runs were scored in the post-lunch session when the tourists managed to pick up the wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva. Sri Lanka had the rub of the green and have cashed in.

Earlier, Taijul Islam gave Bangladesh their fifth wicket during the post-lunch session when he removed Dhananjaya de Silva for 34 with the hosts under pressure at 136 for 5 in 47.2 overs.

Relief for Tigers as Taijul strikes, and Sri Lanka’s fifth wicket resistance is broken. The batter wanted to pull but the ball wasn’t that short for him to attempt the stroke. The ball kept a touch low and struck the stumps as de Silva ended up playing all over it. Wicket against the run of play, Bangladesh really needed that!

DM de Silva b Taijul Islam 34 (54b 5x4 0x6) SR: 62.96

Fall of wicket 136/5 (47.2 ov); Partnership: 66 runs, 19.4 overs, RR: 3.35 (Chandimal 25, de Silva 34)

Taijul nearly sent back Dinesh Chandimal in the 46th over when Mehedi Hasan Miraz took a diving catch in the outfield. The third umpire rule in the batsman’s favour when replays didn’t provide sufficient evidence for a clean catch.

The fifth wicket unbeaten partnership of fifty between Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva thwarted Bangladesh’s efforts to take a wicket after lunch.

Both the batters were keen to use their feet to the spinners, and managed to rotate the strike quite regularly as they settled down at the wicket. Bangladesh nearly saw the back of Chandimal during the 39th over bowled by Shakib Al Hasan.

The ball drifted in from around the stumps, past the inside edge and deflected of the pad to Soumya Sarkar at slip. Looked like a call for lbw at first, but the angle would have definitely taken it down the leg stump.

The slip fielder then appealed again, for a deflection off the inside edge. That's what the cricketers went up for. Several replays later, the original decision of out was overturned by the third umpire, and Chandimal lived to fight another day!

Earlier, Bangladesh went to lunch in the best possible manner as pacer Subashis Roy gave his team the wicket of Asela Gunaratne to leave Sri Lanka tottering at 70 for 4 in 27.4 overs.

Dinesh Chandimal was batting on 27 from 50 balls when the players left the field. Mustafizur Rahman opened the bowling with Subashis Roy and set the tone for his team with his metronomic accuracy. He took a wicket in six overs for 11 runs.

Mehedi Hasan Miraz pegged back Sri Lanka with his two wickets for 32 runs in 10 overs. Subashis was the other bowler to get a breakthrough during the fruitful session for Bangladesh.

Subashis strikes and the morning session comes to an end emphatically for the tourists…the bowling change worked and the fourth wicket falls for Sri Lanka.

The ball was angled full on the stumps from wide of the crease. Asela played all around the ball and was struck plumb in front. The batter started walking as the umpire raised his finger. Brilliant morning for Bangladesh!

DAS Gunaratne lbw b Subashis Roy 13 (39b 1x4 0x6) SR: 33.33

Fall of wicket 70/4 (27.4 ov); Partnership: 35 runs, 12.2 overs, RR: 2.83 (Chandimal 20, Gunaratne 13)

Bangladesh began to assert themselves on the hosts during the morning session of the centenary Test after Mehedi Hasan Miraz removed Upul Tharanga to leave Sri Lanka struggling at 35 for 3 in 15.2 overs.

Beautiful dismissal…perfect for the offspinner! Mehedi bowled it slower and the ball dipped on the batsman. Tharanga committed the cardinal sin by pushing at the ball with hard hands, and the ball took a thick edge to Soumya at first slip.

WU Tharanga c Soumya Sarkar b Mehedi Hasan Miraz 11 (40b 1x4 0x6) SR: 27.50

Fall of wicket 35/3 (15.2 ov); Partnership: 11 runs, 3.3 overs, RR: 3.14 (Tharanga 4, Chandimal 7)

Mehedi Hasan Miraz gave Bangladesh their second wicket when he dismissed Kusal Mendis for 5 to leave Sri Lanka in a spot of bother at 24 for 2 in 11.5 overs.

Mushfiqur Rahim’s decision to continue to Mehedi is vindicated, and Kusal Mendis is stumped! The ball dipped as the batter lunged forward. Mushfiqur rode the bounce, collected it cleanly and whipped the bails off.

Kusal was a long way forward and was deceived in flight by the offie, no doubt Mehedi is all psyched up. Great start to the morning session by the tourists.

BKG Mendis st †Mushfiqur Rahim b Mehedi Hasan Miraz 5 (6b 1x4 0x6) SR: 83.33

Fall of wicket 24/2 (11.5 ov); Partnership: 11 runs, 3.1 overs, RR: 3.47 (Tharanga 6, Mendis 5)

Earlier, after a sustained period of superb bowling, Mustafizur Rahman gave Bangladesh the first breakthrough in their centenary Test when he sent back Dimuth Karunaratne for 7 to leave the hosts at 13 for 1 after 8.4 overs.

Great catch by the young Mehedi Hasan Miraz and the good bowling from both ends has paid off…Dimuth bites the dust.

It was a loose shot from the batsman. He played well away from his body with an angled bat. The ball flew off the thick outside edge to gully where Mehedi took a stunner!

FDM Karunaratne c Mehedi Hasan Miraz b Mustafizur Rahman 7 (32b 1x4 0x6) SR: 21.87

Fall of wicket 13/1 (8.4 ov); Partnership: 13 runs, 8.4 overs, RR: 1.50 (Tharanga 1, Karunaratne 7)

Sri Lanka stand-in skipper Rangana Herath won the toss and decided to bat first.

“We are behind in the series and it is not a place for emotions; performance is paramount,” Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim said earlier, and he knows that his team needs to be focused on the job at hand in order to avert any disasters on the momentous occasion of the centenary Test.

At Colombo, Bangladesh will be fighting to save the two-match series after their heavy defeat at Galle last week. This is something Bangladesh have been striving for ever since their inaugural Test on November 10, 2000.

Sri Lanka are playing with an extra batsman. Dhananjaya de Silva replaces Lahiru Kumara. For the tourists, Imrul Kayes, Sabbir Rahman, Taijul Islam and the debutant Mosaddek Hossain Saikat have been included in the playing XI.

Bangladesh

Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim (Captain, Wicketkeeper), Shakib Al Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam and Subashis Roy

Sri Lanka

Dimuth Karunaratne, Upul Tharanga, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella (Wicketkeeper), Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath (Captain), Suranga Lakmal and Lakshan Sandakan

Umpires - Aleem Dar and S Ravi

TV umpire - M Erasmus

Match referee - AJ Pycroft

Reserve umpire - RSA Palliyaguruge