Praveen Jayawickrama took a six-wicket haul on the third day of the ongoing second Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to put the hosts on top on Saturday here at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
Having dismissed the visitors for 251 in their first innings, the hosts went in with a score of 17/2 at stumps and as a result, Sri Lanka has extended its lead to 259 runs. Dimuth Karunaratne (13*) and Angelo Mathews (1*) are at the crease.
Beginning their second innings with a lead of 242, Sri Lanka was given an early jolt as Mehidy Hasan dismissed Lahiru Thirimanne (2) in just the third over of the innings. In the very next over, Oshada Fernando displayed poor game sense as he came charging down the wicket, only to miss the ball and be stumped off Taijul Islam.
In the end, Mathews and Karunaratne saw out the day for the hosts, ensuring Sri Lanka does not suffer any more hiccups.
Earlier, finally coming out to bat after spending two days in the field, Bangladesh got off to a good start as openers Tamim Iqbal and Saif Hassan stitched together an opening partnership of 98 runs. But right on the cusp of the lunch break, Bangladesh ended up losing the wicket of Hassan (25) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (0), as a result, the visitors went into the interval with the score on 99/2.
After the lunch break, Tamim and Mominul Haque formed a 52-run stand and they kept the Sri Lanka bowlers at bay but the hosts stormed right back as Praveen Jayawickrama sent Tamim (92) back to the pavilion in the 44th over. Mushfiqur Rahim then joined Haque in the middle and it was looking like both batsmen would play out the second session easily.
However, right on the cusp of tea break, Sri Lanka got another breakthrough as Jayawickrama dismissed Rahim (40), reducing Bangladesh to 214/4, still trailing the hosts by 279 runs.
After the tea break, Bangladesh innings got into a further slump as the side lost three quick wickets -- Haque (49), Liton Das (8), and Mehidy Hasan (16) -- and the visitors were at risk of being asked to follow-on. Sri Lanka did not waste any time in bundling out the visitors, and Bangladesh's innings ended on a score of 251, handing Sri Lanka a lead of 242 runs.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 493/7d and 17/2 (Dimuth Karunaratne 13*; Taijul Islam 1-2); Bangladesh 251 (Tamim Iqbal 92; Praveen Jayawickrama 6-92).
( With inputs from ANI )
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