By Srian Obeyesekere
Bangladesh finished a rain interrupted second day of the first test match against Sri Lanka on an imposing 484 for 9 despite a late rally strike by the hosts in grabbing 5 wickets for 61 runs in a post-rain final bout of play at the Galle International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday covering 20.4 overs in an otherwise run avalanche on the mammoth 264 fourth-wicket Najmul Hossain Shanto-Mushfiqur Rahim partnership consuming 91.1 overs that was broken when Asitha Fernando broke it in a 3-wicket tally having the Bangladesh captain mistimed drive ending up in Angelo Mathews hands at mid-off for 148 with the score on 309 adding just a boundary to his overnight 14 in what was his 5th test ton off 279 balls, and a final blaze of 149 runs off 47 overs for the fifth-wicket between Rahim and wicket-keeper batsman Litton Das a fiery 90 off 123 filed with 11 boundaries and a six when the former’s big stay, big innings consuming 350 balls finding the boundary 5 more occasions from the 4 yesterday, was ended on 163 again by the wily quick Asitha Fernando who trapped him leg before wicket for his second strike of the day in the wake of the 1 yesterday. It was upheld on the review by the Lankans after the appeal was disallowed by the umpire, making it 458 for 5. It was Mushfiqur’s 11th test hundred in a 20-year long career that took off against England at Lords on May 26.
Meanwhile, the lanky debutant off-spinner Tharindu Ratnayake struck on the day for his third wicket when he had Litton Das hashing up a reverse sweep with wicket-keeper Kusal Mendis running up and around to take the catch.
From that point it was Sri Lanka with Bangladesh losing the next three wickets for 26 runs in the space of 8.3 overs with Jaker Ali gone next bowled for 8 by the 28-year old medium fast Milan Rathnayake in a 3-wicket burst for 38 that was the best by a Lankan bowler off 22.4 overs, Jaijul Islam in repeat fashion for 11, and Nayeem Hasan caught behind by Mendis for 11.
Chief Scores:
Bangladesh 484/9 (151 Overs)
Mushfiqur Rahim 163, Najmul Hossain Shanto 148, Litton Das 90, Milan Rathnayake 3/38, Asitha Fernando 3/80, Tharindu Rathnayake 3/196)
