VISHWA FERNANDO HAD SHANTO WITH A BEAUTY, BUT LET DOWN BY FIELDERS

By Srian Obeyesekere
Sri Lanka had Bangladesh in a tight spot on 220 for 8 wickets on the opening day of the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club Grounds despite some poor fielding with two catches dropped by Lahiru Udara off Mushfiqur Rahim when the visitors were in deep trouble wobbling in the 70 for 4 on an usually batting friendly surface after the visitors had batted first on winning the toss with the fielder failing to hold on to just over head high in the deep by the 28th over off fast bowler Vishwa Fernando who was using his height to good advantage in deriving movement off the wicket which if taken the Lankans might well have made short shrift of the Bangladesh innings. Before that the left arm quick, who was one of the two changes replacing Milan Rathnayake, had accounted for the prize wicket of the Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto to having him wobbling edging a beautiful on the spot delivery to wicket keeper Kusal Mendis which reduced Bangladesh to 76 for 4 after 28 overs in the wake of the other quick Asitha Fernando having struck an early blow for Sri Lanka when he clean bowled Anamul Haque with a beauty of a delivery for a duck with Bangladesh on 5 off the second delivery of the fifth over.
The Bangladesh skipper’s decision backfired as the Lankan attack which also had off spin all-rounder Sonal Dinusha making his debut, executed a great job in striking early blows with skipper Dhananjaya de Silva having claimed the wicket of Mominul Haque caught by substitute fielder Pavan Rathnayake for 21 with the score on 43 with his first delivery operating the 17th over of the innings.

That poor fielding continued to be a bane to Sri Lanka’s progress did once again raise eyebrows that the fielding department was not really up to mark in the highly sophisticated modern day cricket were the slogan, ‘catches win matches’ cannot be truer.
In that sense, Vishwa Fernando was truly unfortunate as much Sri Lanka not to have also had the key wicket of Rahim which would have been box seat stuff for the hosts.

Following the dropped catches setbacks when altogether 5 were put down, and the Rahim-Litton Das fifth wicket stand threatened to reach sizable proportions with the score on 143 on a day veteran Prabath Jayasuriya continued to have a barren run with the ball, debutant spinner Sonal Dinusha, the last to be introduced to the attack sixth change struck for Si Lanka with a pleasingly quick action leaving little room to be read when he foxed Litton Das with a delivery he brought in fast to the batsman to edging to Mendis with the fifth ball of the 48th over for his maiden wicket. What a start it was for the 24-year old left arm orthodox bowler as he went on to send back the dangerous Mushfqur Rahim caught by Vishva Fernando for 35 off 75 balls having hit 5 boundaries with Bangladesh 6 for 160 after 54 overs.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz resisted for 42 balls for 31 with 3 boundaries taken out by Vishwa Fernando holing to Kamindu Mendis and Nayeem Hasan 51 balls for 25 bowled by Asitha Fernando as Bangladesh dipped to 220 for 8 by the 71st over on a rain interrupted first day.
The two Fernando’s Vishwa 2 for 35 and Asitha 2 for 43 were right up there while debutant Sonal Dinusha 2 for 22 arriving late on the job was wondrous with 2 for 22 off 9 overs and perhaps put to operate a mite too late.

Bangladesh 220 for 8 71 Overs
(Shadman 46, Mushfiqur 35, Sonal Dinusha 2/22, Vishwa Fernando 2/35, Asitha Fernando 2/43, Dhananjaya de Silva 1/15, Tharindu Rathnayake 1/63)