Listless Tigers taste 10-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka

NEWS DESK

Bangladesh paid the price of their abysmal batting show by tasting a 10-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in the second and final Test at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium today, Friday, May 27.

The victory eventually led Sri Lanka to win the two-match series 1-0 after the first Test in Chattogram was drawn.

Bangladesh were bowled out for 169 runs in the second innings, setting a 29-run target for Sri Lanka, which the visitors happily overhauled in just three overs. Oshada Fernando struck just 21 off nine balls and Captain Dimuth Karunaratne scored 7 as Sri Lanka confirmed the victory just hours after the lunch session.

Fast bowler Asitha Fernando was the wrecker-in-chief, registering his first 10-wicket haul in a match.

Fernando who followed his 4-93 with 6-51 in the second innings triggered a collapse after lunch, forcing Bangladesh to lose last five wickets for 20 runs.

Bangladesh appeared to save the Test with Shakib Al Hasan and Liton Das batting with utmost confidence before the lunch session.

Shakib Al Hasan (58) and inform Liton Das (52), were the only two batters to put resistance against a highly charged up Lankan bowlers.

Resuming at 34-4 and still needing 107 runs to ward off an innings defeat, Bangladesh lost Mushfiqur Rahim (23) in the eighth over of the day when Kasun Rajitha, who finished with 2-40, rattled his stump with a delivery that kept tad low.

Shakib, who claimed 5-96 to bowl out Sri Lanka for 506 in the first innings, counterattacked to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Liton, after scoring 88 runs in the drawn first Test and a career-best 141 in the first innings of this Test, went slowly but smoothly to deny Sri Lanka bowlers’ quest for another wicket.

He reviewed successfully to overturn an umpire’s decision of caught behind when on 9.

The wicketkeeper-batter then pushed left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama through cover for a single to bring up 2,000 runs in his 33rd test.

Shakib, who played in one-day style, raised his 27th half-century off 62 balls, whipping a delivery from off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva through mid-wicket for a boundary on the stroke of lunch.

But soon after reaching his 13th fifty off 130 balls, Liton gave a return catch to Asitha Fernando, sparking the collapse, which eventually led Bangladesh’s thumping defeat.

Bangladesh’s last hopes of saving the Test was ruined when Shakib edged a delivery from Fernando to wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella after hitting seven fours for his 72-ball-knock.

Fernando then cleaned up the tail in not time to give Sri Lanka a small target to chase.

Earlier, Bangladesh who elected to bat first, compiled 365 in the first innings with Mushfiqur Rahim making an unbeaten 175 and Liton scoring 141.

Sri Lanka rode on Angelo Mathews 145 not out and Dinesh Chandimal’s 124 to rack up 506, gaining a 141 runs lead which made the eventual difference.