Azad Majumder
Left-arm spinner Sakib al Hasan claimed three wickets as Bangladesh left Sri Lanka stuttering at 172 for six before bad light stopped play early on the opening day of the first Test on Friday.
After scalping Kumara Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, the two most experienced batsmen in the Sri Lankan line-up, Sakib removed Tillakaratne Dilshan to return with three for 43, while Shahadat Hossain took 2-47.
Sangakkara scored 43 runs before he was caught at midwicket by Mohammad Ashraful ending a 95-run stand with Michael Vandort.
Sri Lanka had added two more runs before Shahadat removed Vandort for 44, the opener was caught by Sakib at midwicket after mistiming a pull shot.
Sakib then bowled Mahela Jayawardene for three and the fall of three Sri Lankan wickets for just 16 runs saw them reeling at 139-4 at tea.
‘There was not that much turn on the pitch. I just tried to put the ball in one area and got some success,’ Sakib said later.
The Tigers were on a hunt when Sakib took his third wicket deceiving Dilshan, who scored 14 before he was bowled. Tamim Iqbal took a well-judged catch at fine-leg to end the innings of Prasanna Jayawardene, the second victim of Shahadat.
Thilan Samaraweera was unbeaten on 20 with Chaminda Vaas on zero when the umpires called off the proceedings after 57.4 overs for insufficient light.
Samaraweera and Vaas have averages of 74.40 and 100 against Bangladesh in Tests and both have scored a century each against the Tigers, naturally the tourists were not giving up hopes for a respectable total yet.
‘It is still evenly poised. A 300-plus total is still very much possible,’ said Vandort.
The visitors had resumed the post-lunch session at 27-1 with opener Malinda Warnapura the only casualty of the fog-delayed morning session.
Warnapura was trapped lbw by pace bowler Mashrafee bin Murtaza for 14 runs shortly after Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim got injured when he dropped the opener off the same bowler.
Mushfique bruised his forehead attempting the catch and left the ground immediately with Junaed Siddique taking his place behind the stumps.
He returned to the field after lunch and missed another difficult chance, this time offered by Sangakkara off pacer Mahbubul Alam when the batsman was on 11.
Sri Lanka had won the toss and opted to bat after a thick fog delayed the start of the match by one hour and 45 minutes.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
