By Srian Obeyesekere

Sri Lanka continued its giant run against Bangladesh as in the first test scoring 531 in an insulation to going for the kill with the hosts reduced to 55 for 1 after 15 overs to trailing by 476 at stumps on the second day of the second test match as Dhananjaya de Silva and his men at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram.

The second day was dominated by Kamindu Mendis, who failed to notch his third consecutive century against Bangladesh by 8 runs running out of partners remaining unbeaten on 92 off 167 with 7 boundaries and 2 sixes, and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva 70 off 111 balls with 6 boundaries and 2 sixes, who thus continued to hog the limelight in an illumination from their first test twin century heroics. Dhananjaya added a further 55 to his overnight 15 after his overnight partner Dinesh Chandimal had fallen for 59 off 104 balls with 5 boundaries and 2 sixes in adding a further 25 to his previous day’s 34 caught behind by Litton Das off Shakib Al-Hasan. The Lankan a skipper added 36 for the sixth wicket with Mendis in taking Sri Lanka past 400 before being trapped leg before wicket by Khaled Ahmed – 411/6 after 118.3 overs.

However, Mendis continued his remarkable form in the rare distinction of aggregating 419 runs from only four test appearances magnified by scores of 61, 102, 164 and 92, the last three mounted in the space of just five days in-between the two tests against Bangladesh. He succeeded in enriching the Lankan innings by a rear guard seventh wicket 65 runs together with Prabath Jayasuriya who made a fighting 28 off 75 piercing the boundary thrice on a day Bangladesh would be ruing letting off both in another poor fielding display of five dropped chances.

Speedster Lahiru Kumara clean bowled Mahmudul Hasan Joy for 21 off 42 (3×4) in checking the hosts progress as Bangladesh’s first wicket fell for 47 after 12.3 overs.

CHIEF SCORES:

Sri Lanka 531 (150 Overs) RR: 3.33

(Kusal Mendis 93, Kamindu Mendis n.o. 92 167 7 2, Dimuth Karunaratne 86, Dhananjaya de Silva 70 111 6 2, Nishan Madushka 57, Dinesh Chandimal 59, 104 5 2, Prabath Jayasuriya 28 75 3, Angelo Mathews 23, Vishwa Fernando 11, 26 2, Shakib Al-Hasan 3/110, Hasan Mahmud 2/92, Khaled Ahmed 1/71, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 1/146)

Bangladesh 55/1 (15 Overs)

(Zakir Hasan n.o. 28 39 5, Mahmudul Hasan Joy 21 42 3, Taijul Islam n.o. 0, Lahiru Kumara ¼)