Sri Lanka posted 260 for 6 as the first Test match versus Bangladesh ended in a draw on the fifth and final day at the Zahar Ahamed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Thursday.
Resuming on the overnight 39 for 2, Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis stood firm in steering the side out of trouble. Karunaratne held the threatening Bangladesh attack at bay as he rode to a 138-ball 53 inclusive of two boundaries while Mendis struck a dominant 43-ball 48 packed with 8 boundaries
and a six in carrying the attack to the opposition.
The Bangladeshis did claw back dismissing bogey man their first innings tormentor Angelo Mathews early as Sri Lanka was reduced to 161 for 6 after Dhananjaya de Silva had fallen for 33 off 60 hitting 3 boundaries and a six. But the seventh-wicket pair of Dinesh Chandimal and Niroshan Dickwella took the fight right down to the line in an unfinished 99-run partnership. Dickwella struck a top score of 61 off 96 inclusive of 6 boundaries while Chandimal stonewalled to 39 off 135 balls sandwiched with 4 boundaries and a six.
CHIEF SCORES: SRI LANKA 397 (Angelo Mathews 199, Dinesh Chandimal 66, Kusal Mendis 54, Oshada Fernando 36) And 260/6 (90.1 Overs) (Niroshan Dickwella n.o. 61, Dimuth Karunaratne 53, Kusal Mendis 48, Dinesh Chandimal n.o. 39, Dhananjaya de Silva 33, Taijul Islam 4/82)
BANGLADESH 495 (Tamim Iqbal 133, Mushiqur Rahim 105, Litton Das 88, Mahmudal Hasan Joy 58., Kasun Rajitha 4/60, Asitha Fernando 3/72) .