By Srian Obeyesekere
Sri Lanka ran up a box seat 314 for 4 wickets with Kusal Mendis and Dimuth Karunaratne struck high flying scores of 93 and 86 following a cornerstone 96 first wicket partnership between the latter and Nishan Madushka 57 posted 96 for the first wicket after Sri Lanka opted to bat on a docile track after winning the toss on the opening day of the second test match versus Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram on Saturday
One-up in the 2-match series, the Lankans thrust to making a clean sweep started on an ominous note of working themselves into a position of control to dictating terms with the top order getting going. Madushka, who hit 6 boundaries in his 105-ball innings, was unfortunate to have run himself out with Sri Lanka on the stroke of the 100-mark, the partnership having consumed 28.5 overs in a steady phase.
However, the advent of the explosive one drop Kusal Mendis saw the right-hander raise the tempo striking 11 boundaries and a six as he added 114 for the second wicket with Karunartne whose 86 contained 8 boundaries and a six having faced 150 balls before being bowled by Hasan Mahmud when the left-hander was well within reaching his 14th Test century. The partnership consumed 26.2 overs. It brought Angelo Mathews to the middle as he added 53 for the third wicket with Mendis who was third out just 7 runs short of a century when Shakib Al Hasan had him caught by Mehidy Hasan Miraz with the score 263. Mathews was fourth out having played out 71 watchful minutes hitting 2 boundaries and a six giving Miraz his second catch off Hasan Mahmud with the score 289 into the 87th over. Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva 15 off 27 with 2 boundaries was with Dinesh Chandimal 34 off 58 with 2 sixes and an equal number to the boundary in seeing the day off taking Sri Lanka past 300 in adding an unfinished 25 for the fifth wicket as Bangladesh’s bowlers took another bad toll at the hands of the Lankan batsmen as in the lost first test.
CHIEF SCORES:
Sri Lanka 314/4 (90 Overs) RR: 3.48
(Kusal Mendis 93, Dimuth Karunaratne 86, Nishan Madushka 57, Angelo Mathews 23, Dinesh Chandimal n.o. 34, Dhananjaya de Silva n.o. 15, Hasan Mahmud 2/64, Shakib Al Hasan 1/60)
