In a typically resolute captain’s innings, skipper Dimuth Karunaratne’s unbeaten 85 and defiant 58 from Lahiru Thirimanne fronted a spirited 114-run first wicket Sri Lankan fight back, but it was somewhat negated by Bangladesh claiming the wickets of Oshada Fernando for 20 and Angelo Mathews for 25 for the addition of 76 runs as the hosts ended the third day on 229 for 3 in reply to Bangladesh’s mammoth 541 for 7 declared at the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium on Friday.
In a contest, the name of the game is survival in the face of Bangladesh’s run avalanche, indeed Karunaratne’s spot on launch from the very first ball of the innings was sturdy stuff in leading from the front carrying his bat to stumps to continue the fight on day four having hit 8 boundaries. Dhananjaya de Silva was with him on 29 for company with 4 boundaries under his belt. De Silva, lived up to the growing Mr. Reliable depth he has brought to the side in seeing off the remaining 8.3 overs in taking Sri Lanka past the 200-mark without further loss having come in with the total 190 for 3.
The Karunaratne-Thirimanne partnership consumed 39 overs before Thirimanne was ruled out leg before wicket to a delivery by Mehidy Hasan Miraz. His innings contained 8 boundaries. Next man in Oshada Fernando’s 20 came off 43 balls with 4 boundaries before holing out to Liton Das off Taskin Ahmed. Mathews faced 32 deliveries for his 25 hitting 4 boundaries before being bowled by Taijul Islam.
At the outset, Bangladesh overnight batsmen Mushfiqur Rahim and Linton Das went on to complete half centuries.
Vishwa Fernando was Sri Lanka’s pick of the bowlers adding 2 more scalps including that of Das to his overnight 2 for pleasing figures of 4 for 96given the nature of the wicket.
CHIEF SCORES:
BANGLADESH 474/4 overnight, 541/7 decl. (173 Overs) RR: 3.12
(Mushfiqur Rahim n.o. 68, Liton Das 50, Vishwa Fernando 4/96, Suranga Lakmal 1/81, Lahiru Kumara 1/88, Dhananjaya de Silva 1/130)
SRI LANKA 229/3(73 Overs) RR: 3.13
(Dimuth Karunaratne n.o. 85, Lahiru Thirimanne 58, Dhananjaya de Silva n.o. 29, Angelo Mathews 25, Oshada Fernando 20, Taskin Ahmed 1/35, Taijul Islam 1/56, Mehidy Hasan 1/60)
