Brian Thomas reporting
What started as a dream day for Bangladesh turned into a nervous finish, thanks to some late magic from Sri Lanka’s bowlers — and a bit of help from the weather gods.
For most of the day, it was all about Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim. The two batted like artists, painting strokes all over the ground. Whether it was a clean drive down the ground or a cheeky sweep past square leg, they made batting look easy. Sri Lanka’s spinners had no answers. When Litton Das joined in, the scoreboard kept ticking, and Bangladesh looked completely in charge at 309 for 4.
Shanto eventually fell for a majestic 148, thanks to a stunning catch from Angelo Mathews at mid-off. But even that didn’t slow things down. Litton Das, under pressure from a poor run of form, rose to the occasion. He looked sharp, though he did ride his luck — surviving a dropped catch by Nissanka on 26 and two run-out chances. Still, by lunch, Bangladesh had powered their way to 382 for 4.
The real turning point came after the rain. Until then, Litton and Mushfiqur had added 149 runs together, barely putting a foot wrong. But when play resumed, the pitch had changed — the air was heavier, the ball was moving more, and suddenly, Sri Lanka looked alive again.
Asitha Fernando made the most of the conditions, trapping Mushfiqur LBW for a brilliant 163. A few overs later, Litton — cruising on 90 — threw it away with a reckless T20-style shot and edged behind off Tharindu Ratnayaka. Bangladesh had gone from 458 for 4 to 458 for 6 in no time.
That’s when Milan Ratnayaka stepped up. Quiet all day, he burst to life in the final session with three quick wickets. His swing, control, and clever variations ripped through the lower order. Bangladesh crumbled, losing five wickets for just 65 runs, ending the day at 484 for 9.
It was a reminder of what makes Test cricket special — dominance, momentum shifts, and late drama.
But big questions remain for Sri Lanka. Why didn’t they pick a third seamer? Or a wrist spinner to shake things up when the pitch was flat? Their attack looked toothless until the conditions changed. If Bangladesh had batted another hour at full steam, 550+ was on the cards.
Now, all eyes turn to Sri Lanka’s batting. Can they match Bangladesh’s total and stay in the game, or has the late fightback just delayed the inevitable?
Only time — and their first innings — will tell.
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