Bangladesh VS Sri Lanka Test Series
2nd Test Played at SBNCS Dhaka
Brief Score Card at Stumps Day four
Bangladesh 365 All Out in 116.2 Overs (Mushfiqur Rahim 175*, Litton K Das 141, Kasun Rajitha 5/64,Asitha Fernando 4/93 )
Bangladesh 2nd Innings 34/4 in 13 Overs. ( Mahmudul Hasan Joy 15, Mushfiqur Rahim 14* ,Liton 1*) Tamim 0 Shanto 2. Miminul 0 , Asitha Fernando 2/12 ,Kasun Rajitha 1/120
Sri Lanka 506 as ll Out In 165.1 Over in 97 Overs (Angelo Mathews 145*, Dinesh Chandimal 124. Dimuth Karunaratne 80, Dhananjaya de Silva 58, Oshada Fernando 57, Shakib Al Hasan 5/96, Ebadat Hossain 4/148)
Bangladesh trails by 107 run with 6-second innings Wickets at hand.
When the rain came just before lunch of day three and washed the entire post-lunch session till tea some Bangladeshi analysts and some optimistic journalists wrote Rain robbed Bangladesh.
On one day Sri Lanka taking a hefty 141 runs lead has virtually batted Bangladesh out of the match. Someone can say Bangladesh call upon rain dancers to open up the sky tomorrow. From now only two possibilities are there, Bangladesh battling out a draw or loss. Bangladesh at stumps were 34/4 still trailing by 107 runs. The reliable pair Mushfiq and Litton together again in a rescue mission. Have to bat out of their skin to save the test.
The wicket has no venom at all for Bangladesh reduced to 24/5 in the first innings and 23/4 in the second. Perhaps Shakib bowling 40.1 required some rest. We are not sure that the best of Mushfiq , Litton and Shakib may not be enough tomorrow.
The marathon 165.1 overs long Sri Lankan innings featured as many as five batsmen scoring 50 or above, and two scoring centuries. While in Bangladesh two batsmen scored all but 49 runs, six scored ducks, two could not reach double-digit. For the first time in many years, SBNCS wicket so far played like a true surface where good bowlers had some rewards and the patient quality batsmen can score runs.
Sri Lanka was still trailing by 82 runs with 5 wickets at hand when Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal resumed batting this morning. Bangladesh was virtually restricted to three bowlers. Mosaddeq had no utility. Khaled looked like a pedestrian. Only Shakib was in his element, Salute Man Ebadat bowled at pace the whole day.
Even then two most experienced Sri Lankan batsmen of the lot Angelo Mathews (145*) and Chandimal (124) producing a perfect test partnership of 199 first anchored their team to safety and then laid the spadework for a potential match-winning position.
Their batting was an object lesson for Bangladeshi batsmen on how to bat with patience and carry the team on their shoulders like what Mushfiq and Litton did for Bangladesh. Mathews batted for 577 minutes playing 342 deliveries for his unbeaten 145. Chandimal batted for 329 minutes playing 219 balls for his 124. Their 199 runs 6th wicket may prove match-winning. It is a pity that while Bangladesh's top order got melted away in both the innings to relatively less ll for 15, Shanto ran himself out experienced Sri Lankan pacers 5 of the Lankans scored 50 or above.
Were they playing on two surfaces? Must give credit to Shakib for his 19th 5 wicket haul and Ebadat for bowling well for his 4 wickets.
While Bangladesh batted the second time Tamim and Joy looked panicked. Tamim scored duck again nibbling to the slip. Joy dropped once got out scoring 15, Mominul earned a pair. Has Mominul forgotten his batting. Perhaps he needs some rest to rediscover himself. With Bangladesh looking pathetic Mushfiq, Liton and Shakib have kept Sri Lankan bowlers at bay the entire day tomorrow or most part of it. With this top-order batting minus, Mushfiq Bangladesh may be humiliated against many superior West Indies pacers on fast bouncy wickets.
A win for Sri Lanka will give them a big boost before two important series against Australia and Pakistan at home. I know Sri Lankans love cricket more than life.
BDST: 1823 HRS, May 26 2022
MSK
