The second Test match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, in Mirpur, appeared to be meandering to a draw at the start of Day 4. In reply to Bangladesh’s first innings score of 365, Sri Lanka had reached 282/5, with Angelo Mathews on 58 and Dinesh Chandimal on 10.
Any hopes of a positive result in the match appeared predicated on Sri Lanka losing early wickets on the fourth morning. Instead, Mathews and Chandimal continued their partnership which eventually took Sri Lanka past Bangladesh’s first-innings score. Mathews showed great restraint to reach his 12th Test century, one of his slowest in terms of balls faced. Chandimal began to catch up with him, and reached his own century, his 11th in Test cricket, soon afterwards.
The pair, though, was not finished, and continued to frustrate the Bangladesh bowlers as they batted well into the afternoon session. They added 199 before Chandimal was finally caught by Tamim Iqbal off Ebadot Hossain for 124. He had faced 219 balls and struck a six and 11 fours.
Mathews and Niroshan Dickwella added 17 before Shakib Al Hasan had Dickwella caught behind. The innings subsided quickly after that. Ebadot trapped Ramesh Mendis leg before for 10, while Shakib had Praveen Jayawickrama caught behind. When last man Asitha Fernando was run out, Sri Lanka were dismissed for 506, leaving Mathews stranded on 145. He had faced 342 balls, and finished with two sixes and 12 fours.
Shakib was the best Bangladesh bowler with 5-96. Beginning their second innings with a deficit of 141 in the first innings, Bangladesh suffered another batting collapse before the close of play.
Tamim was the first to go, caught by Kusal Mendis off Asitha. Two overs later, Najmul Hossain Shanto was run out. Then Kasun Rajitha had home captain Mominul Haque caught behind, before Asitha had Mahmudul Hasan Joy caught by Mendis.
At stumps, Bangladesh were 34/4, still trailing by 107 runs with six second-innings wickets in hand. The two men who got them out of a similar mess in the first innings, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das, are at the crease. They will have to repeat that feat this time round as well
Mushfiqur will resume on 14, while Das has just a single to his name.
Bangladesh 365 (Mushfiqur Rahim 175*, Liton Das 141; Kasun Rajitha 5-64, Asitha Fernando 4-93) and 34/4 (Mahmudul Hasan Joy 15; Asitha Fernando 2-12) trail Sri Lanka 506 (Angelo Mathews 145*, Dinesh Chandimal 124; Shakib Al Hasan 5-96, Ebadot Hossain 4-148) by 107 runs.