Karunaratne, Dhananjaya milestones flatten Tigers

Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva reached personal milestones as Sri Lanka kept the Bangladesh bowlers toiling hard for a wicket on the fourth day of the first Test at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today. 

Before stumps were drawn following insufficient light, Sri Lanka scored 512 for three in 149 overs in reply to Bangladesh's first innings score of 541 for seven (declared).

After Karunaratne smashed his maiden Test double ton, right-hander Dhananjaya de Silva went on to cross the 150-run mark. Dhananjaya brought up his 150 in style when he came down the track and struck a Taijul Islam delivery through midwicket for his 20th boundary. He remains unbeaten on 154 off 278 deliveries.

Meanwhile, Karunaratne, who has been solid for the most part of his stay at the crease, reached the milestone in a nervy manner. He slashed hard at an outside off delivery from Taskin Ahmed and got an under edge that took the ball past the first slip for a boundary at the third man region.

Karunaratne ratcheted up the scoring rate since reaching double hundred as he raced to 234 off 419 deliveries before play was halted due to bad light for the second time on the day. Earlier, umpires and players had walked off the pitch for a brief period after only five overs were bowled since Tea.   

Despite the unprecedented interruptions, it has been a wonderful day of cricket for Sri Lanka as the duo of Karunaratne and Dhananjaya strung together a record partnership while the Bangladesh players looked helpless on a pitch that offers very little help to the bowlers. Their unbeaten 322-run stand for the fourth wicket is Sri Lanka's highest partnership for any wicket against Bangladesh in Tests. They surpassed the previous best of 311-run stand for the third wicket between Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene in back in 2007. It is also the all-time highest partnership at this ground, overtaking the previous best of the 258-run stand between Michael Hussey and Shaun Marsh in 2011. 

Karunaratne smashes maiden Test double ton

Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne scored his maiden Test double ton on the fourth day of their first Test at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today.

Karunaratne, who has been solid for the most part of his stay at the crease, reached the milestone in a nervy manner. He slashed hard at an outside off delivery from Taskin Ahmed and got an under edge that took the ball past the first slip for a boundary at the third man region. 

Karunaratne is unbeaten on 207 off 393 deliveries, which is also his career-best Test score. He is aptly partnered by Dhananjaya de Silva, who remains unbeaten on 144 off 268 deliveries. Sri Lanka are 475 for three after 143 overs.  

Play resumes after brief halt; Karunaratne, Dhananjaya eye personal milestones 

After a brief halt due to bad light, the fourth day's play of the first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka has resumed at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today. 

Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, unbeaten on 194 off 381 deliveries, will be eyeing his first Test double ton while Dhananjaya de Silva, who is on 142 off 262 deliveries, is inching closer towards the 150-run mark. Sri Lanka were 460 for three, at the time the report was filed. 

SL v Ban: Play stopped due to bad light

The fourth day's play of the first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have been stopped due to bad light at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today.

The decision comes after five overs have been bowled in the final session of the day. With dark clouds gathering over the stadium, umpires measured the lighting and decided to walk off the pitch. 

Sri Lanka are 457 for three after 139 overs. Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne remains on the verge of his first Test double ton as the left-hander is currently unbeaten on 192 off 378 deliveries while Dhananjaya de Silva is unbeaten on 141 off 259 deliveries.

Before the unprecedented halt, the duo of Karunaratne and Dhananjaya strung together a record partnership. Their unbeaten 267-run stand for the fourth wicket is their highest partnership for the wicket against Bangladesh in Tests. It is also the all-time highest partnership at this ground, overtaking the previous best of the 258-run stand between Michael Hussey and Shaun Marsh in 2011. 

There was a similar kind of stoppage on the second day of this Test. That time, the play did not resume any further on the day after being halted due to bad light after 10 overs bowled since Tea. 

Karunaratne, Dhananjaya bat fluently as Tigers seem helpless

Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and Dhananjaya de Silva continued to bat fluently as Bangladesh bowlers failed to scalp a single wicket on the day before the umpires called for Tea on the fourth day of their first Test at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today. 

Sri Lanka are 442 for the loss of three wickets at Tea.  

Before Tea, Dhananjaya in particular ratcheted up the scoring rate with some beautiful strokeplay around the ground as he brought up his seventh Test hundred -- second one against the Tigers. Dhananjaya moved to 134 off 249 deliveries, smashing 18 boundaries so far. 

His partner, Karunaratne, is on the verge of his maiden double century in Tests. The left-hander remains unbeaten on 184 off 358 deliveries. 

Bangladesh bowlers seemed helpless on a pitch that has very little for both pacers and spinners as the overnight duo of Karunaratne and Dhananjaya went on to string together an unbeaten 252-run fourth-wicket stand with one session till to go on the day. 

Sri Lanka, who started the day trailing by 312 runs, are now just 99 runs behind Tigers' first innings score of 541 for seven (declared). 

SL batsmen frustrate Tigers

Both overnight Sri Lankan batsmen Dimuth Karunaratne and Dhananjaya de Silva brought up century and fifty respectively and strung together a hundred-run stand as they frustrated the Bangladesh bowlers throughout the morning session on the fourth day of their first Test at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today. 

Sri Lanka go to Lunch with 331 for three on the board and trailing by 210 runs to Bangladesh's first innings score of 541 for seven (declared). 

Both Karunaratne and Dhananjaya looked solid out in the middle -- barring a few close calls. The duo strung together an unbeaten 141-run fourth-wicket stand as they played the Bangladesh bowlers with ease on a pitch that certainly is a batting paradise.

Bangladesh pacers, especially Taskin Ahmed, got some movement off the pitch after the visitors took the second new ball. The Lankan duo, however, got past that nervy phase with skipper Karunartne bringing up his 11th Test ton and Dhananjaya scoring a fifty. 

Karunaratne remains unbeaten on 139 off 290 deliveries while Dhananjaya looks impeccable on 74 off 137 deliveries. 

Karunaratne scores 11th Test ton, Tigers still search for breakthrough

Sri Lanka Test skipper Dimuth Karunaratne brought up his 11th Test hundred on the fourth day of their first Test against Bangladesh at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today. 

The left-hander, who resumed the day on 85, looked a bit nervous once he got into the nineties. The 33-year-old played as many as 30 deliveries after reaching 90 before getting to his hundred off 246 deliveries. 

Meanwhile, Bangladesh bowlers have been creating a few chances but are yet to get a breakthrough on the day. Especially pacer Taskin Ahmed looked dangerous as he beat the outside edges and also hurried the overnight Sri Lankan batsmen -- skipper Karunaratne and Dhananjaya de Silva -- on their backfoot on a few occasions after the Tigers opted for the second new ball. 

Resuming the day on 229 for three and trailing by 312 runs, Sri Lanka are now 278 for three after 91 overs. Both Karunaratne and Dhananjaya look solid as the duo get closer to a hundred-run stand.  Karunaratne is unbeaten on 117 off 260 deliveries while Dhananjaya is on 43 off 89 deliveries, at the time the report was filed.