BAN v SL: 2nd Test, Day 3 Review

Hosts Bangladesh were looking to bounce back on Day 3 of the second Test after the visitors posted 531 while batting first at Chattogram. Sri Lanka got off to a flying start after picking the wicket of Mahmudul Hasan Joy late in the Day, and the Bangladesh side was cruising at 55/1.

Overnight Bangladeshi batters — Zakir Hasan and Taijul Islam started cautiously and were stitching a good partnership until the former, who was batting on 54, got bowled off a pearler by Vishwa Fernando. The responsibilities were on the shoulders of Najmul Hossain Shanto to guide his team to a good first-inning score. But skipper Shanto fell early, and added just a run to the hosts' tally.

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Islam who was playing cautiously scored 22 runs including one boundary and fell right after the skipper went back to the dugout. Mominul Haque and experienced Shakib Al Hasan tried to bring back the innings on track but succumbed to the Lankan bowlers. Both the batters were victims of Asitha Fernando. 

Post these two batters, no other could cross the double-digit score and were bowled out for 178 runs. Asitha Fernando was the best performer for the visiting side as he ended with figures of 4/ 34. With a lead of 353 runs, Sri Lankan team was optimistic to put up yet another big total to be in the driver's seat in this Test match.

Shanto & Co were coming in more confident to reclaim their lost glory with continuous lacklustre performances. A strong bowling attack of the home side put the Dhananjaya de Silva-led side on the back foot from the word go. Nishan Madushka gave a solid start but fell after scoring 34 runs. Dimuth Karunaratne fell in the last bowl of the second over of Hasan Mahmud's delivery.

Angelo Mathews was determined to stitch a crucial partnership with Madhushka, but the wicketkeeper-batter was the victim of Mahmud's bowling brilliance. From one side it was Mahmud who was getting the breakthrough, from the other side Shanto called Khaled Ahmed to support the pacer. Ahmed proved to be the right decision for the hosts as he got the big wicket of Kusal Mendis in the very second ball.

Both skipper and Dinesh Chandimal went back to the pavilion early, adding just 1 and 9 runs to the scorecard. Sri Lanka were trying not to lose any more wickets at the end of the day, but the opposition's onslaught continued as Ahmed got another breakthrough for them in the form of Kamindu Mendis.

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Mathews and Prabath Jayasuriya will continue the second innings and will look to add those crucial runs and give a defendable target.  With four wickets still left the Lankan camp will be hoping for a late flourish from their lower-order While with a brilliant performance with the ball in the second innings, the hosts' camp will be very happy and will come hard and will look to rattle the Sri Lankan tail early tomorrow.

Brief Scores:

Sri Lanka: 102/6 in 25 overs (Angelo Mathews 39, Hasan Mahmud 4/51)

Bangladesh: 178/10 in 68.4 overs (Zakir Hasan 54, Asitha Fernando 4/34)