Ton-up Chandimal, Mathews take Lankans on top at Tea

Sri Lanka head to Tea on the driving seat as their batter Dinesh Chandimal was the latest to pull off three figures for his side after Angelo Mathews scored his second century of the two-match test series against hosts Bangladesh on day four of the Dhaka Test today.

Chandimal ecstatic after reaching three figures. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

At Tea, Sri Lanka are 459 for five in their first innings after 155 overs of batting, leading by 76 runs. The two overnight batters are still in the middle as Dinesh Chandimal reached his Test career's 12th ton and meanwhile, Mathews, who is behind Mushfiqur Rahim as the Test batter with the second-highest average since 2020, brought up the 13th hundred of his Test career, spanning 96 Tests. The Lankan batter, so far, had hit six boundaries and two sixes while facing as many as 274 balls to reach three figures. Previously in Chattogram, Mathews was agonisingly close of a double-century but his 199-run knock off a staggering 397 balls was pivotal in denying the victory for the Tigers.   

Angelo Mathews looks to the heavens after scoring the second century in the ongoing series. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Bangladesh bowlers' misery continued throughout the hot and humid day in Mirpur so far as they were made to toil hard without any reward. Taijul Islam, who grabbed five wickets in the Chattogram Test, has bowled 49 overs -- his career's fourth-longest spell of bowling -- and conceded 124 runs without picking a wicket. The only wicket-takers in the innings so far -- Shakib Al Hasan and Ebadot Hossain -- have done little to trouble the batters today.

Mosaddek Hossain and Mominul Haque also were brought in to break the partnership, which stands at 193, becoming the highest stand between Mathews and Chandimal, surpassing 181 against India in 2017.  

Previously, in the morning session: 

The ongoing second Test of the two-match series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium has witnessed majority of the wickets falling in the morning session on the previous three days. However, the Tigers lackluster bowling unit could not do enough to trouble the Lankans in the morning today.

Resuming the penultimate day on 282 for five, Mathews and Chandimal negotiated Bangladesh bowlers with ease, scoring runs all over the wicket, mainly on the square side. Both the batters have hit a six as well, with Mathews taking on Taijul Islam and Chandimal dancing down the track to Shakib Al Hasan for a maximum.   

Mathews can do nothing wrong in the series, it seems. After registering a massive 199 in the previous Test in Chattogram, the right-hander stitched a 191-ball 102 stand with Dhananjaya de Silva yesterday, Mathews contributed to another hundred partnership, off 246 balls, this time with Chandimal, who brought up his fifty in 118 balls.

And the century stand had coincided with the Lankans taking the lead, the first time this series.