SL on top despite two late wickets

Bangladesh spinners scalped two important wickets late on the day after Sri Lanka's left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama's six-for saw the hosts begin the second innings with a mammoth 242-run lead on the third day of their second and final Test at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today. 

Sri Lanka ended the day on 17 for two, leading by 259 runs. The Lankans, who had posted a mammoth total of 493 for seven (declared) in their first innings, decided against enforcing follow-on after bundling out Bangladesh for just 251 in the final session of the day. 

Right-arm spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz struck first after Sri Lanka padded up for their second innings. A sharp turner from Mehedi induced a thick edge of Lahiru Thirimanne's bat in the third over after resumption and Najmul Hossain Shanto, who has been guilty of dropping crucial catches in this Test, held on to a sharp catch at slip. 

In the very next over, Oshada Fernando was stumped after he foolishly tried to step out and smash a Taijul Islam delivery. Taijul, who saw the batsman coming down the track, bowled it a bit wide and it turned away from the batsman's reach as wicketkeeper Liton Das made no mistake in grabbing the ball and removing the stumps. 

There were a few close calls at the latter stage of the game but the two unbeaten Sri Lankan batsmen -- Angelo Mathews and skipper Dimuth Karunaratne -- were witty enough to survive through the day without any more hiccups. 

Earlier in the session, the 22-year-old Jayawickrama became only the fifth Sri Lankan bowler to have bagged a fifer on debut and finished with outstanding career-best figures of six for 92 in 32 overs. His figures also remained the best for any Sri Lankan on debut. 

Jayawickrama, who had earlier scalped the prized wicket of Tamim Iqbal (92 off 150) and Saif Hassan (25 off 62), instigated a batting collapse when he removed Mushfiqur Rahim just before Tea. 

Following Tea, the 22-year-old would go on to scalp the wickets of Liton Das, Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed. 

Jayawickrama's six-for on debut help SL take mammoth lead

Left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama picked up six wickets on debut to help hosts Sri Lanka bundle out Bangladesh for 251 on the third day of their second and final Test at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today.

Sri Lanka, who had posted a mammoth total of 493 for seven (declared) in their first innings, had the chance to enforce follow-on but decided against it as they will be resuming with a huge 242-run lead and bat the few overs left on the day.

Jayawickrama, who had earlier scalped the prized wicket of Tamim Iqbal (92 off 150) and Saif Hassan (25 off 62), instigated a batting collapse when he removed Mushfiqur Rahim just before Tea. 

Following Tea, the 22-year-old would go on to scalp the wickets of Liton Das, Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed to finish with magnificent figures of six for 92 in 32 overs. Jayawickrama became only the fifth Sri Lankan bowler to have bagged a fifer on debut and his figures remain the best among the players in that list. 

Bangladesh's first innings came to an in a bizarre fashion when Taijul Islam's left shoe came off and disrupted the stumps after he went on his back foot to play a Suranga Lakman delivery.

Jayawickrama bags fifer on debut as Tigers struggle

Sri Lanka's left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama bagged a fifer on his debut as Bangladesh remain on the verge of seeing a follow-on being enforced on the third day of their second and final Test at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today. 

The 22-year-old Jayawickrama achieved the feat when he had Mehedi Hasan Miraz trapped in front. A flighted delivery and Mehedi goes on his backfoot to play it towards midwicket region. However, the right-handed batter failed to connect and the ball, that pitched around middle and leg, went on to hit the pads of Mehedi. Bangladesh reviewed after the umpire gave his initial verdict but the ball tracker showed it would have gone to hit leg stump. 

Bangladesh would have to score 294 runs to avoid follow on but still seems far away as the Tigers struggle at 243 for seven after 79 overs with Taijul unbeaten on 3 and Taskin Ahmed yet to open his score. 

Earlier, Jayawickrama took the wickets of Tamim Iqbal, Saif Hassan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das. 

SL spinners take charge after Tea

Sri Lankan spinners probably have instigated a batting collapse as they picked up the wickets of Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque and Liton Das in quick succession just after Tea on the third day of their second and final Test at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today. They also scalped the wicket of experienced Mushfiqur Rahim just before Tea. 

After Tea, Mominul was the first one to perish as he failed to negotiate a full toss from Ramesh Mendis that directly hit the boots of the left-hander as he failed to bring the bat down in time. Mominul was given LBW and he did not even opt for a review, knowing fully what he had done. He fell just one short of the fifty-run mark. 

Soon after Mominul's dismissal, Praveen Jayawickrama picked up his fourth wicket of the game as he had Liton caught at slip. 

The spinners look ominous now as they are getting sharp turns and bounce off the pitch almost constantly. Bangladesh scored 228 for the loss of six wickets after 70 overs with Mehedi Hasan Miraz unbeaten on 4 and Taijul Islam yet to open his account at the other end. 

Tigers lose Mushfiqur just before Tea

Bangladesh suffered a massive jolt in the form of the wicket of experienced Mushfiqur Rahim just before Tea on the third day of their second and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today.

It was once again the debutant Praveen Jayawickrama who struck. He has now scalped three of the four wickets that Bangladesh lost. Mushfiqur misread the length of Jayawickrama blatantly as he went on the back foot to negotiate a fuller length delivery.  The ball went in with the arm and hit the pads of Mushfiqur as the Sri Lankan players appealed intensely for a leg-before. However, the umpire remained unconvinced and after a long discussion, with almost the DRS timer running out, Sri Lanka decided to review. And it revealed that the ball had hit the pad first and would have gone to hit middle and leg stumps. 

Mushfiqur had to walk off after a promising 62-ball 40 and that wicket also brought an end to the session as players and umpires went for Tea with Bangladesh on 214 for four after 61.4 overs. 

Bangladesh lost two crucial wickets -- that of Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur -- in the session but did not fail to score runs. A total of 115 runs were scored in the session and had it not been for the two wickets, it well could have been an excellent session for Bangladesh. 

After the wicket of Tamim, who perished on 92, both Mushfiqur and skipper Mominul had strung together a 63-run fourth-wicket stand. Mominul, who was dropped twice -- on 1 and 11 -- looked more composed after a nervy start. The duo of Mominul and Mushfiqur was looking promising before the latter's untimely dismissal.  

And with not much batting to come, a lot will depend on the next pair of Liton and Mominul, who will resume after the Tea break.    

Tamim misses out on ton yet again

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal missed out on scoring a century as the left-handed batsman was dismissed eight runs short of the three-figure mark after Lunch on the third day of their second and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today.

Including today's knock, Tamim had scored more than fifty runs in his last four Test innings. But the southpaw failed to convert those fifties to centuries everytime. However, in one of those innings, Tamim was unbeaten on 74. It was during Bangladesh's second innings in the first Test of this series against Sri Lanka as that match ended in a draw.  

Debutant Praveen Jayawickrama managed to induce an edge off the bat of Tamim when the left-arm spinner changed angle and went round the wicket. Pitching on around middle and off stump, Jayawickrama lured Tamim to play for the turn but the ball went on a little bit with the arm and took a thick outside edge of Tamim's bat. Lahiru Thirimanne took another good catch at slip as Tamim had to walk off the pitch yet again after coming so close to a hundred.

Tamim, who had started off in an aggressive manner, paced his innings accordingly after Bangladesh lost two wickets in quick succession just before Lunch. The left-hander smashed 12 boundaries during his 150-ball 92. The wicket also brought an end to a 52-run third-wicket stand between Tamim and skipper Mominul Haque.

Tamim's last four innings score are 92, 74*, 90 and 50.    

In reply to Sri Lanka's mammoth 493 for seven (declared), Bangladesh scored 168 for three after 48 overs with Mominul unbeaten on 31 and Mushfiqur Rahim on 14.

Tigers lose Saif, Shanto just before Lunch 

Bangladesh lost opener Saif Hassan and Najmul Hossain Shanto in quick succession just before Lunch on the third day of their second and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today.

Bangladesh, who got off to a good start after Sri Lanka declared their innings on 493 for seven earlier on the day, went to Lunch being on 99 for two. 

Saif was the first one to fall when he became the maiden Test scalp of debutant Praveen Jayawickrama just one over before Lunch. A flighted delivery from the left-arm spinner saw Saif going forward to defend but the ball turned sharply, getting a thick edge off the right-hander's bat. Dhananjaya de Silva took a sharp catch at gully as Saif walked off after a 62-ball 25.

Meanwhile, Najmul Hossain Shanto, who scored his career-best 163 in the previous Test, perished in the final delivery of the morning session without adding to his score. A good length delivery from Ramesh Mendis induced an edge off the bat of Shanto as it turned sharply away from the left-hander. Lahiru Thirimanne held on to a regulation catch at slip.     

Earlier, the Tigers got off to a good start in reply to Sri Lanka's mammoth first innings score. Tamim Iqbal and Saif had strung together a 98-run opening stand before two wickets fell in quick succession at the latter part of the first session. 

Tamim brought up his fifty and has looked fluent during his unbeaten 96-ball 70. The left-hander has been aggressive, taking on the bowlers and scoring runs quickly. But with the pitch offering some serious turn and bounce to spinners, Tamim might need to tone it down a bit and play a bit more sensibly as Bangladesh would now require partnerships to thwart a batting collapse.     

Tamim races to fifty as Tigers get off to a positive start

Left-handed opener Tamim Iqbal scored his 31st Test fifty as Bangladesh got off to a positive start in reply to Sri Lanka's mammoth first innings total on the third day of their second and final Test at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today.

Tamim brought up his fifty off just 57 deliveries when he pushed a back of a length Ramesh Mendis delivery to backward point and took a single. This remains as Tamim's third consecutive Test fifty in the series, and fourth in a row overall in Tests. However, Tamim, who has been dealing in boundaries, would like to do what he had missed out on in the previous three innings -- getting to the landmark three-figure score. 

The left-hander remains unbeaten on 62 off just 69 deliveries while his partner, Saif, is unbeaten on 13 with Bangladesh scoring 79 after 18 overs. 

Earlier on the day, Sri Lanka declared on 493 for seven.

Tamim, Saif off to a positive start after SL declared on 493

Both Bangladesh openers -- Tamim Iqbal and Saif Hassan -- got off to a positive start after Sri Lanka declared their innings just short of the 500-run mark on the third day of their second and final Test at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today. 

Bangladesh had moved on to 38 without the loss of any wicket after 10 overs, at the time the report was filed. 

Tamim looked fluent as he remained unbeaten on 29 off 40, smashing four boundaries so far, while his partner, Saif, has been a bit more cautious, scoring five off 20 deliveries. 

Earlier, Sri Lanka, who resumed the day at 469 for six,  batted for about 15 minutes this morning before declaring at 493 for seven. The declaration came when Ramesh Mendis was caught while trying to pull a Taskin Ahmed delivery. Taskin, who has been the most impressive bowler for Bangladesh, finished with figures of four for 127 in 34.2 overs. 

However, Niroshan Dickwella missed out on his maiden Test ton as Sri Lanka declared with the left-hander on 77 off 72 deliveries, laced with eight boundaries and a six. He had strung together a 111-run stand with Mendis for the seventh wicket.