Sri Lanka took firm control of the second Test against Bangladesh as Pathum Nissanka struck a magnificent century and Dinesh Chandimal added a fluent 93 to help the hosts finish Day 2 on 290-2 in reply to Bangladesh’s 247.
After a strong opening stand of 88 runs between Nissanka and Lahiru Udara, the hosts weathered Bangladesh’s spin attack through the middle session, before extending their dominance in the final phase of the day.
Udara, who made 40 off 65 balls, was the only wicket to fall before tea, dismissed lbw by Taijul Islam after a successful review. The breakthrough, however, did little to dent Sri Lanka’s momentum.
Nissanka, who scored a century in the first Test at Galle, continued his rich form with another composed hundred — his second of the series and first-ever at home before this tour. He reached the milestone off 167 deliveries, striking 16 boundaries along the way.
He found a perfect partner in Chandimal, who batted with aggression early before settling into a more cautious rhythm. The former captain brought up his 34th Test half-century, but fell agonizingly short of a century, top-edging a reverse sweep off Nayeem Hasan on 93 after a 153-ball innings that included 10 fours and a six.
Their 194-run stand for the second wicket, which lasted 311 deliveries, frustrated Bangladesh, whose bowlers struggled for consistency, particularly the pacers. Ebadot Hossain and Nahid Rana leaked runs early on, allowing the Sri Lankan openers to get off to a brisk start. Rana’s 2 overs went for 17 runs, while Ebadot conceded 17 from his opening 3 overs.
Spinners Taijul and Mehidy Hasan Miraz later helped regain some control, slowing the run rate, but couldn’t break through until late in the day when Chandimal departed.
At stumps, Nissanka remained unbeaten on a majestic 146 off 238 balls, with Prabath Jayasuriya on 5 at the other end. Sri Lanka lead by 43 runs with eight wickets in hand and are well poised to push for a series win.
Earlier in the morning, Bangladesh were bowled out for 247 in their first innings, adding just 27 runs to their overnight total. Taijul Islam top-scored with a resilient 33, while debutant Sonal Dinusha and Asitha Fernando shared three wickets apiece for Sri Lanka.
Source: Daily Sun
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