Sri Lanka and Bangladesh sprinted away on a moving Day 3 in Chattogram as both teams accounted for a combined total of 15 wickets across the three sessions. Despite six of those being Sri Lanka’s in the second innings, they found themselves in a position of strength with a lead of 455 runs.
The day began with Bangladesh on 55/1, staring at the mountain of runs that Sri Lanka put in front of them on Day 2. Bangladesh’s overnight second-wicket pair of Zakir Hasan and night-watch Taijul Islam looked to solidify the home team’s position in the first hour of the morning session. Zakir even brought up a half-century soon, but a moment of brilliance from Vishwa Fernando broke open Bangladesh’s batting line-up. Vishwa bowled a fabulous inswinging yorker to the left-handed Zakir and sent his leg stump out of the ground.
Najmul Hossain Shanto’s ordinary run in the format continued as he chipped one off Prabath Jayasuriya to Dimuth Karunaratne at short mid-wicket. Taijul also got an inswinger from Vishwa, and had his off-stump taken out. In the space of four overs, Bangladesh went from 96 for 1 to 105 for 4. Bangladesh plunged into further trouble when Asitha Fernando had Shakib Al Hasan trapped leg before – just about – for the addition of just 21 runs to the total. That kick-started a collapse as Bangladesh went from 126 for 5 to 178 all out.
Sri Lanka chose not to enforce follow-on and walked out to pile on the misery on Bangladesh, who already trailed by 353 runs. Their 24-year-old medium pacer Hasan Mahmud eased the worry lines to a small extent as he picked four wickets to reduce the visiting side to 102 for 6 in 25 overs at stumps. Mahmud did the damage as early as the second over when Karunaratne dragged the ball onto the stumps while attempting to cut a ball that was too close to him. This was the second time the Sri Lankan batter was falling to the same bowler in the same fashion in this fixture.
Kusal Mendis followed suit an over later by playing one onto his stumps from Khaled Ahmed. Opener Nishan Madushka and Angelo Mathews were quick with the repair work as they added 45 runs in the 10 overs post Mendis’s exit. Madushka then looked for his sixth four of his brief stay and ended up hitting a ball from Mahmud straight to Mehidy Hasan at cover. That wicket triggered a little collapse as Sri Lanka went from 60 for 3 to 89 for 6, with the likes of Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis – who scored big in the first innings – departing cheaply. From that juncture, Mathews and Prabath Jayasuriya dragged Sri Lanka to 102 for 6 at the end of the day. The wickets fell in quick succession, but the lead swelled too, making Sri Lanka the happier side at stumps.
Brief Scores:Sri Lanka 531 & 102/6 (Angelo Mathews 39*; Hasan Mahmud 4-51) lead Bangladesh 178 (Zakir Hasan 54; Asitha Fernando 4-34, Lahiru Kumara 2-19) Vishwa Fernando 2-38, Prabath Jayasuriya 2-65) by 455 runs
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