SL on top as bad light ends proceedings on Day 2

Update: The play has finally been officially called off at 5:05 pm local time in Sri Lanka. Niroshan Dickwella was batting on a run-a-ball 64 with Ramesh Mendis on 22, as play off halted earlier due to bad light. Before than a seventh-wicket 87-run partnership between Dickwella and Mendis had seen the hosts get closer to the target they have in mind before they could declare and make Bangladesh bat late in the day, but lightinig and bad light saw the third session halted. 

Taskin Ahmed was the impressive one with the ball for the Tigers, bagging three wickets. Although he could easily have had five if regulation catches were not dropped. Taskin finished the day with three wickets for 119 runs. Sri Lanka are 469 for 6 in 155.5 overs. Play to begin early tomorrow to compensate for time lost today.

Play halted once more due to bad light

The second day's play of the second and final Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka has once again been halted, but this time due to bad light at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today. 

Sri Lanka had scored 469 for six in 155.5 overs before umpires halted proceedings due to insufficient light in Kandy.

The duo of Niroshan Dickwella and Ramesh Mendis looked ominous as they strung together an unbeaten 87-run seventh-wicket stand before the unprecedented halt. With Sri Lanka looking to score as many runs as possible to pile up a mammoth first innings total, Dickwella played the role of an aggressor, scoring a run-a-ball 64, laced with seven boundaries. 

Mendis, however, played more cautiously for his 55-ball 22, featuring only two boundaries.

Earlier, play was halted due to a slight drizzle and overcast condition just after three overs following Tea. However, play resumed after a brief break before being stopped once again due to bad light with only a total of 9.5 overs played since Tea.   

In the earlier sessions, Bangladesh bowlers had scalped a total of five wickets with Taskin Ahmed leading the charge. The right-arm pacer, who has been troubling the Lankan batsmen with pace and bounce throughout the game, got rewarded for his efforts in the form of the prized wickets of Lahiru Thirimanne (140 off 298), Angelo Mathews (5 off 15) and Pathum Nissanka (30 off 84). 

With some turn and bounce on offer from the pitch, spinners Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam also picked up a wicket each. 

It will be a real challenge for the Bangladesh batsmen once they come on to bat as the pitch is expected to wear and tear further in the coming days.

Dickwella brings up fifty after play resumed following brief halt 

Sri Lanka's Niroshan Dickwella brought up his 18th Test fifty shortly after the second day's play of the second and final Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka resumed following a brief halt due to a slight drizzle and overcast condition at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today.

Dickwella played a short of a length delivery from Shoriful Islam towards cover and sprinted quickly for a two to bring up his fifty off just 48 deliveries. The left-hander is not shying away from playing his shots as he remains unbeaten on 56 off 53 deliveries, at the time this report was filed. He is being aptly partnered by Ramesh Mendis, who remains unbeaten on 12 off 43 deliveries. 

The duo strung together an unbeaten 69-run seventh-wicket stand which is looking ominous. Sri Lanka scored 451 for six after 152 overs. 

SL v Ban: Play stopped due to rain

The second day's play of the second and final Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka has been halted due to a slight drizzle and overcast condition at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today. 

Sri Lanka scored 436 for six in 149 overs before the covers came on just after three overs following Tea. 

The two Lankan batsmen -- Niroshan Dickwella and Ramesh Mendis -- seemed to have gotten into the groove before rain halted proceedings. The duo strung together an unbeaten 54-run seventh-wicket stand with Dickwella playing the role of the aggressor as he remains unbeaten after scoring a run-a-ball 42, laced with six boundaries. His partner, Mendis, however, played more cautiously for his 36-ball 12.  

Mendis, Dickwella regroup after two quick wickets 

Sri Lankan batsmen Ramesh Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella recovered well after two wickets that fell in quick succession in the second session on the second day of their second and final Test against Bangladesh at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today. 

Sri Lanka are 425 for six at Tea with Mendis unbeaten on 12 and Dickwella not out on 31. 

The duo of Mendis and Dickwella strung together an unbeaten 43-run seventh-wicket stand after Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed removed Oshada Fernando (81 off 221) and Pathum Nissanka (30 off 84) respectively in quick succession after Lunch. 

Sri Lanka crossed the 400-run mark and have already piled up a mammoth first innings total. However, with the spinners getting sharp turn and bounce off the pitch for a while now, Bangladesh can hope to fold Sri Lanka before the end of the Day. For that, the Tigers would first need to bring an end to the dangerous-looking partnership between Dickwella and Mendis. 

Miraz, Taskin strike after Lunch  

Pacer Taskin Ahmed and spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz took the wickets of Pathum Nissanka and Oshada Fernando respectively in quick succession after Lunch as Bangladesh keep the pressure on Sri Lanka on the second day of their second and final Test at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today. 

After being introduced for the first time post-lunch, Taskin struck right away to break a promising-looking partnership. A ball on the off-stump line nipped back into the right-hander Nissanka, who failed to negotiate a delivery that kept a bit low. The ball went through the gap between bat and pad and rattled his stumps. Nissanka had to walk off after an 84-ball 30 and the wicket also ended a 54-run fifth-wicket stand between Oshada and Nissanka.

And in the very next over, Miraz removed overnight batsman Oshada who was inching towards his second Test ton. Oshada, who played brilliantly for his 221-ball 81, perished when he tried to sweep a flighted Miraz delivery. Thanks to some extra bounce, Oshada failed to connect the ball with his bat as it brushed off his glove before hitting his pad and going up for a simple catch to wicketkeeper Liton Das. Liton did well to anticipate the ball's movement before taking the catch.  

Sri Lanka, however, crossed the 400-run mark as they scored 403 for the loss of six wickets after 140 overs. Ramesh Mendis remains unbeaten on 10 with Niroshan Dickwella not out on 11 at the other end. 

The pitch seems to have a bit of wear and tear with spinners getting sharp turn and bounce for a while now. Sri Lanka's innings could come to an end soon if the Bangladesh bowlers can keep up the pressure.  

Taijul, Taskin strikes help Tigers fight back

Following Taskin Ahmed's double strike, Bangladesh's left-arm spinner Taijul Islam gets in on the action as he scalped the wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva just a few overs before Lunch on the second day of their second and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today.

After toiling hard for wickets on Day 1, Bangladesh bowlers initiated a fightback as they dominated proceedings in the morning session today. Tigers scalped three wickets conceding just 43 runs in the 26 overs bowled today, reducing Sri Lanka to 334 for four at Lunch on Day 2. Oshada Fernando remains unbeaten on 65 with Pathum Nissanka yet to open his score at the other end.  

Unlike what happened on Day 1 or during the five-day course of the previous game, the spinners were able to get some sharp turn off the pitch in the morning today. And Taijul, who has been maintaining a good channel for a while now, got the reward when Dhananjaya de Silva edged a delivery that had turned and bounced more than he expected from around the off stump. Najmul Hossain Shanto, who was guilty of dropping an easy catch at slip yesterday, held on to a sharp catch after the ball had deflected following an edge off the wicketkeepers' gloves. 

Dhananjaya walked off after scoring just two off nine deliveries. 

Earlier, Taskin struck twice in quick succession to remove overnight batsman Lahiru Thirimanne on 140 and Angelo Mathews on 5. 

Taskin gets reward for his hard work

Taskin Ahmed got the reward for his efforts as the right-arm pacer got two wickets in quick succession to help Bangladesh get the momentum back in the early hours of the second day of their second and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy today. 

Taskin has been troubling the Lankan batsmen with pace and bounce but remained unlucky. He even had an easy catch -- that of Dimuth Karunaratne -- dropped at slip yesterday. 

However, after continuing to bowl sharply, Taskin finally got the reward for his hard work today. He first removed Lahiru Thirimanne off a delivery that was not nearly as good as he has been bowling before removing Angelo Mathews with a gem of a delivery. 

A short of a length delivery on the leg side from Taskin saw Thirimanne feather it slightly back to the wicketkeeper as the left-handed batsman walked off the pitch after a 298-ball 140, laced with 15 boundaries. The wicket also brought an end to a menacing 104-run second-wicket stand between overnight batsmen Thirimanne and Oshada Fernando. 

Not long after scalping the prized wicket of Thirimanne, Taskin induced the edge off the bat of Mathews who pushed at an outside off delivery that was shaping away from his body. Wicketkeeper Liton Das took a sharp diving catch behind the stumps.    

Oshada, however, brought up his fourth Test fifty on a gloomy day in Kandy today. He smashed a full and wide delivery from Abu Jayed through the point region for a boundary to bring up his fifty off 132 deliveries. The right-hander is currently unbeaten on 57 off 153 deliveries. 

After resuming the day on 291 for one, Sri Lanka have scored 324 for the loss of three wickets after 110 overs.