By Srian Obeyesekere
Sri Lanka swept aside Bangladesh by 192 runs in the second test for a 2-nil triumph taking just over an hour and 18 overs to claim the last three wickets as the hosts added exactly 50 at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdury Stadium, with Lahiru Kumara claiming two of the last three wickets for figures of 4 for 50, and Kamindu Mendis the other to cap an all-round Player of the Match show on his first innings 92 and 3 wickets for 32 in 10 overs as well as the overall Player of the Series plum to boot. It capped a fantastic performance with the bat that fetched him twin centuries of 102 and 167 in the first test and falling within sight of a record consecutive triple tons.
Indeed, the 2-off series proved to be a significant comeback for the 25-year old Mendis who was ironically left in cold storage for a good two years by faulty selectors despite an impressive debut half century versus Australia. In that vein, it was a vengeful swipe at his omission for no fault of his left in the wilderness during his prime.
As it was, Bangladesh’s resistance was confined to lower order batsman Mehidy Hasan Miraz who went on to carry his bat for an unbeaten 81 off 110 balls consuming 10 boundaries and 143 minutes in that valour of a lost cause.
The triumph further capped a remarkable start for skipper Dhananjaya d Silva by a maiden overseas series triumph that was tremendously showcased in leading from the front under pressure in pulling his side out of trouble to victory in both tests when he walked to the middle with the cream of the top order gone in both innings.
CHIEF SCORES
Sri Lanka 531 & 157/7 decl.(40 Overs) RR: 3.92
(Angelo Mathews 56, Nishan Madushka 34, Prabath Jayasuriya n.o. 28, Hasan Mahmud 4/65, Khaled Ahmed 2/34, Shakib Al-Hasan 1/39)
Bangladesh 178 & 318 (85 Overs) RR: 4.00
(Mominul Haque 50, Mehidy Hasan Miraz n.o. 81, Litton Das 38, Shakib Al-Hasan 36, Mahmudul Hasan Joy 24, Najmul Hossain Shanto 20, Zakir Hasan 19, Shahadat Hossain 15, Taijul Islam 14, Kamindu Mendis 2/22, Lahiru Kumara 2/41, Prabath Jayasuriya 2/79, Vishwa Fernando 1/39)
