Colombo, June 25 (UNI) Bangladesh struggled to assert dominance on a spin-friendly pitch at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) as Sri Lankan bowlers struck in regular intervals, restricting the visitors to 220 for 8 by stumps on a rain-affected first day of the second Test.
On a surface turning from the outset, Bangladesh’s innings never found momentum despite multiple starts. Six batsmen crossed 20, but none could convert into a big score, with opener Shadman Islam top-scoring with 46. Veteran Mushfiqur Rahim (35) and Litton Das (30) offered resistance in the middle, but their efforts were undone by disciplined bowling from Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka rotated their bowling resources effectively. Left-arm pacer Vishwa Fernando (2/35), debutant spinner Sonal Dinusha (2/22), and right-arm quick Asitha Fernando (2/43) led the attack. Dhananjaya de Silva and Tharindu Ratnayake chipped in with timely breakthroughs to maintain pressure on the Bangladeshi line-up.
Opting to bat first, Bangladesh lost Anamul Haque for a duck early. A brief 38-run stand between Shadman and Mominul Haque was broken by de Silva, after which the middle order faltered. Rain interrupted play with the visitors at 90/4.
Post the rain delay, Mushfiqur and Litton added a crucial 67-run stand, but Dinusha broke through before Tea. Rahim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz looked to rebuild again, but Dinusha struck once more, followed by Vishwa Fernando and Asitha removing Miraz and Nayeem Hasan, respectively, before close of play.
Brief Scores (Day 1):
Bangladesh 220/8 in 72 overs (Shadman Islam 46, Mushfiqur Rahim 35; Sonal Dinusha 2/22, Vishwa Fernando 2/35, Asitha Fernando 2/43) vs Sri Lanka.
