Sri Lanka Test
Bangladesh lose early wickets after Sri Lanka declare on 648
Bangladesh lost two early wickets in their second innings of the Kandy Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Sri Lanka declared their first innings on 648 for eight in 179 overs securing a 107-run first-innings lead. Bangladesh were sent to bat after the lunch break of day five.
Saif Hassan failed to impress with the bat once again he fell for one playing only eight balls. He suffered a duck in the first innings facing six deliveries.
Also read: Karunaratne, Dhananjaya send Tigers on a leather hunt
Najmul Hossain Shanto, who had hit a ton in the first innings, returned a duck in the second innings facing eight balls. Both of the first wickets were taken by Suranka Lakmal, the most experienced bowler of the Sri Lankan attack.
Sri Lanka added 136 runs in the first session of the fifth day. Two overnight batsmen, Dimuth Karunarante (244) and Dhananjaya de Silva (166), were removed by Taskin Ahmed while Taijul Islam bagged the wicket of Wanindu Hasaranga and Ebadot Hossain scalped Pathum Nissanka.
For Bangladesh, Taskin bagged three wickets conceding 112 runs while Taijul took and Ebadot and Mehidy Hasan Miraz scalped one wicket each.
Bangladesh removed five Sri Lankan batsmen in the first session of the final day with one run out. Bangladesh will have to bat at least 68 overs to end this Test in a draw.
Earlier, Bangladesh declared the first innings at 541 for seven wickets in 173 overs before the lunch break of day three.
Also read: Karunaratne, de Silva continue to trouble Bangladesh
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque dominate in the first two days as they have struck a century each. It was the first Test for Najmul, and Mominul recorded his maiden century in away Tests.
Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das have struck a fifty each for the visitors.
It was the sixth-highest Test innings for the Tigers, and third highest in the overseas Tests.
For Sri Lanka, Vishwa Fernando was the most successful bowler who bagged four wickets in the batting paradise conceding 96 runs in 35 overs while Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara and Dhananjaya de Silva took one wicket each.
Karunaratne, Dhananjaya send Tigers on a leather hunt
Bangladesh spent an entire day on the field but failed to take a wicket as hosts Sri Lanka piled on the runs in Kandy on day 4, before bad light stopped play in the first Test.
The Tigers bowled 76 overs on Saturday and conceded 283 runs. An earlier stoppage together with the early call of stumps meant 14 overs were lost. Still it was the fourth time that Bangladesh spent an entire day on the field without a wicket coming their way. Conversely, it was the sixth instance of Sri Lanka batting an entire day without losing a wicket.
Or put another way, the same two batsmen who walked on to the field at the start of the day's play walking off with their wickets intact at stumps. For the fourth wicket, Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne and all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva have now posted 322 runs. At the end of day four, Karunarate remained unbeaten on a career-best 234, while Dhananjaya was batting at 154.
Also read: Karunaratne, de Silva continue to trouble Bangladesh
Bangladesh's lead has now come down to 29 runs and would easily have been erased in all likelihood, if the overs weren't lost. At one point there was even talk of the Sri Lankan captain eyeing a daring declaration with any sort of lead, to give the Bangladesh openers a short, uncomfortable period to survive on the fourth day itself.
Now the islanders might try to score some quick runs in the fifth morning and test Bangladesh's nerves in the last two sessions.
Karunaratne, de Silva continue to trouble Bangladesh
Bangladeshi bowlers have failed to grab any wicket on day four of the Kandy Test against Sri Lanka despite bowling for two full sessions.
At the tea break of day four, the hosts were batting at 442 for three.
After Dimuth Karunaratne, Dhananjaya de Silva has also struck a century. The pair have remained unbeaten on 184 and 134, adding 252 runs in the fourth wicket stand.
Also read: Sri Lanka hold firm as Karunaratne hits century
For Bangladesh, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam and Taskin Ahmed bagged one wicket each.
At the lunch break, Sri Lanka were trailing by 210 runs, but they have now narrowed it down to 99 runs.
Earlier, Bangladesh declared their first innings at 541 for seven wickets in 173 overs before the lunch break of day three. It was the sixth-highest Test innings for the Tigers and third-highest in the overseas Tests.
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque dominated the first two days, hitting a century each. It was the first Test 100 for Najmul, and Mominul recorded his maiden century in away Tests.
Also read: Taijul bemoans docile track
Also, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das struck a 50 each for the visitors.
For Sri Lanka, Vishwa Fernando was the most successful bowler who bagged four wickets for 96 runs in 35 overs while Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara and Dhananjaya de Silva claimed one wicket each.
Taijul bemoans docile track
Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam believes the wicket at Kandy is not helping the bowlers much, making a push for victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka unlikely for the Tigers.
At the end of day three, the hosts in their first innings were comfortably placed to avoid the follow on at 229/3 in reply to Bangladesh's mammoth 541/7 declared. Captain Dimuth Karunaratne and Dhananjaya de Silva will resume on day 4 unbeaten with 85 and 26 respectively.
Also Read: Sri Lanka make steady progress against Bangladesh's 541
Earlier, riding on a maiden century for Najmul Hossain Shanto and maiden away century for captain Mominul Haque, Bangladesh posted an impressive first innings total. Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das also did well hitting a fifty each. But clearly the lifeless pitch also played its part.
“To be honest, there is no help from the wicket to create a situation to win this game. It’s the same for the pace-bowler and the spinners,” Taijul said in a virtual press conference after play wrapped up on day 3.
Also Read: Kandy Test: Bangladesh declare posting a mammoth score
“We have to work hard maintaining discipline. If we can ensure that, we may be able to create a situation to win this game,” Taijul added. The left-arm spinner did bag a wicket with a peach of a delivery to remove the dangerous Angelo Mathews. Other than that, it was pretty tough going under the hot Sri Lankan sun.
While describing the plan for the next day, Taijul said that they will take the field eyeing a victory but will make sure that they don’t lose this game from this stage.
Possibly the best chance of a result in this game lies in Bangladesh being able to bowl their hosts out for 341 or less in the first innings - the follow on target. Sri Lanka are currently 112 runs short of that with 7 wickets in hand.
Bangladesh are missing the service of the spin bowling consultant Daniel Vettori. Due to Covid-19 restriction in his country, Vettori was unable to travel to Sri Lanka. In his absence, the Bangladesh Cricket Board appointed Sohel Islam as the spin bowling coach for the Sri Lanka tour.
“We never get the service of a spin bowling consultant for a longer period of time. I have previously worked with Sohel personally. He understands the problem I’m facing. He just needs to see me once. I really feel comfortable working with him. I think we can do something good together,” Taijul added.
Sri Lanka make steady progress against Bangladesh's 541
Sri Lanka have responded well to Bangladesh's first-innings total of 541 in the Kandy Test, scoring 229 for three in 73 overs in the Kandy Test.
At the end of day three on Friday, captain Dimuth Karunaratne and all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva were batting at 85 and 26. Sri Lanka are trailing by 312 runs with two days to left play.
The Lankans started well before the lunch break of day three, posting 114 runs in the first wicket stand, thanks to 58 off Lahiru Thirimanne.
For Bangladesh, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam and Taskin Ahmed bagged one wicket each.
Earlier, the Tigers declared the first innings at 541/7 in 173 overs before the lunch break of day three. This is the sixth-highest Test innings for the Tigers and the third-highest in overseas Tests.
Also read: Kandy Test: Bangladesh declare posting a mammoth score
Both overnight batsmen, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das scored a 50 each. Liton fell prey to Vishwa Fernando, for 50, Mushfiqur remained unbeaten on 68.
After Liton's dismissal, Bangladesh lost Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam in quick succession. Taskin Ahmed came to bat at number nine and remained not-out for six.
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque dominated the first two days of the game, hitting a 100 each. It was the first Test 100 for Najmul, and Mominul recorded his maiden century in away Tests.
Also, Tamim Iqbal set the tone for Bangladesh's innings, scoring 90 runs.
For Sri Lanka, Vishwa Fernando was the most successful bowler who bagged four wickets in the batting paradise, conceding 96 runs in 35 overs, while Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara and Dhananjaya de Silva took one wicket each.
Ban v SL: Domingo expects quick runs on third morning
Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo says he is expecting some quick runs on the morning of the third day of Kandy Test to put more pressure on hosts Sri Lanka.
The play of the second day ended early due to bad light when Bangladesh were batting at 474 for four, with Mushfiqur Rahim (43*) and Liton Das (25*) at the crease.
“We’ll discuss it (how many runs are safe) overnight but we need to get some quick runs tomorrow morning,” Domingo told the media through a virtual press conference at the end of day two. “If we can get around 520, it gives us a good opportunity to put them under some pressure.”
Also read: Ban v SL Day 2: Tigers 474/4 at stumps
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque have struck centuries. While it was the maiden ton for Najmul, Mominul recorded his first in away Tests. Domingo lauded both for their performance.
“I think there’s been a lot of discussion about how he goes about his innings. Being a bit more patient, leaving a few more balls, cutting out certain scoring areas. He has played a fantastic innings. I’m really pleased with him. He’s worked really hard on his game in the last couple of months,” Domingo said about Shanto.
“I think Mominul understands his game really well. He’s a very calm person. I think his demeanour lends him to be a very organised Test batsman. He’s meticulous in his preparation. I think he’s a fantastic Test batsman and he’s trying his best to lead the side. He got a hundred against the West Indies, and followed up with a hundred here again,” Domingo said.
Also read: Mominul scores first century on foreign soil
The wicket of Kandy is mostly friendly to the batsmen. In the first two days, bowlers hardly got anything from the wicket.
“Winning the Test is a long way away. It’s not something we’re thinking about at the moment. Our main focus is to play well in the first session tomorrow. There’s a lot of hard work ahead of us to even consider thinking of winning this Test,” Domingo added.
Ban v SL Day 2: Tigers 474/4 at stumps
Bangladesh scored a massive 474/4 in 155 overs at the end of day 2 of the Kandy Test against Sri Lanka.
The umpires called the second day after keeping the game stopped for more than an hour due to bad light.
Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das were unbeaten for 43 and 25 respectively.
The sky was dark at local time 4pm when the batsmen returned to the dressing room due to the bad light and waited for more than an hour for the game to resume. The umpires called it a day at local time 5pm.
Sri Lankan bowlers were disciplined on day two and kept the run rate lower than the previous day. Despite that, Bangladesh's superb batting performance have put them in the driving seat.
Najmul Hossain Shanto hit his maiden ton (163) while Mominul Haque fell for 127, his first century on foreign soil.
Also read: Mominul scores first century on foreign soil
The 242-run partnership between Najmul and Mominul is now the highest third-wicket stand for Bangladesh in Tests.
Najmul prodded a return catch to Lahiru Kumara to get dismissed while Mominul tried to drive off Dhananjaya de Silva away from his body with an angled bat but ended up giving a catch to Lahiru Thirimanne at the first slip.
On day one, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first. They lost opener Saif Hassan in the second over of the match. But the visitors recovered from the initial damage as Tamim Iqbal and Najmul put up a 144-run partnership in the second wicket stand.
This series is part of the World Test Championship. Bangladesh have played five matches of this event and failed to win any of them. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, played 10 matches -- one win, six losses and three draws.
Bangladesh played a total of 12 matches in Sri Lanka and won one of them in 2017 which was Bangladesh’s last overseas Test win to date.
BD v SL: Najmul eyes to bat longer in Kandy Test
Bangladesh top-order batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto said they are looking forward to batting longer to ensure a commanding position for the Tigers in the Kandy Test against Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh won the toss on Wednesday and opted to bat first in the first Test of the two-match series. They accumulated 302 runs for two wickets at the end of the day thanks to the maiden ton by Najmul (126*).
“It’s too early to think about the result of this game,” Najmul told a virtual press conference after day’s play. “It’s just day one. The longer we can bat, the more control we’ll have in this game. We’re looking forward to batting for a long time.”
Najmul came to the national set-up playing at all stages of the development group of Bangladesh cricket. But he disappointed with the bat in six Tests that he played so far. Najmul, however, played well at the domestic circuit.
“I had nothing to prove,” Najmul added. “I’ve worked so hard over the last four-five months. So I believed that I score at any moment. I was relaxed at the wicket. I just wanted to stay calm and keep enjoying my batting which eventually resulted in a good way.”
Also read: BD v SL: Najmul hits maiden Test ton as Tigers take control
Bangladesh lost the right-handed opener, Saif Hassan, off the last ball of the second over of the match which forced Najmul to come to bat early in the morning. He took it as an opportunity and batted through almost the entire day.
The 22-year-old batsman has credited Tamim Iqbal for his success. He said: “It was tough to bat in the first session as there was some movement. Tamim told me to stay calm and play carefully. He also said the wicket is good to bat. Tamim batted well which helped me to take some time and get adapted.”
Najmul partnered with Tamim in the second wicket to post 144 runs, and he accompanied Mominul Haque in the third wicket to add 150 runs on the board – the highest third-wicket partnership for Bangladesh in away Tests.
“I didn’t think much about how many balls I faced or how many runs I scored. We were focused to make big partnerships. We took one step at a time which helped to come up with the big partnerships. Now the next session is very important for us. If we can play well in the first session, it’ll help us to understand how many runs we need to in the first innings and after that, we may think about winning this game,” Najmul added.
BD v SL: Najmul hits maiden Test ton as Tigers take control
Najmul Hossain Shanto registered his maiden Test century on Wednesday as Bangladesh took control of Kandy Test against Sri Lanka.
At the end of the first day’s play, Tigers had amassed 302 for two wickets. Najmul and Mominul Haque were unbeaten for 126 and 64 respectively. Najmul hit 14 fours and one six while Mominul scored six fours.
Bangladesh captain Mominul won the toss and opted to bat first. The decision proved to be right despite losing Saif Hassan in the second over of the innings.
After Saif’s dismissal, Najmul came and batted with great discipline through almost the entire day. He partnered with Tamim in the second wicket to post a partnership of 144 runs.
Najmul accompanied Mominul in the third wicket stand, which was impregnable at the end of the day, to add 150 runs. It is now the highest third-wicket partnership for Bangladesh in away Tests. They still have a good chance to make it even bigger.
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