Day 3 i.e. the moving day moved at a rapid rate as 14 wickets fell in the day. At the end of it all, Sri Lanka inched closer in getting the win despite a five-wicket haul from Taijul Islam and 4 wickets for Nayeem Hasan. Sri Lanka got a 211 run lead and have managed to take wickets at regular intervals to reduced Bangladesh to 115/6 in 38.4 overs still trailing by 96 runs.
Sri Lanka started the day at 290/2 with a lead of 43 runs with Pathum Nissanka and night watchman Prabath Jayasuriya at the crease. Pathum completed his 150 before falling for 158. Captain Dhananjaya de Silva went for a low score. Kamindu Mendis chipped in with 33.
Kusal Mendis held the lower middle order together and scored 84 off 87 balls. Sonal Dinusha and Tharindu Ratnayake got into double figures as Sri Lanka ended at 458 in 116.5 overs. 10 extras were given by the fielding side. Taijul Islam picked up 5/131 while Nayeem Hasan picked up 4/87 in 18 overs. A wicket to Nahid Rana as well.
Bangladesh got off to a steady start but lost Anamul Haque at the stroke of tea for 19. Shadman Islam went soon after for 12. Mominul Haque made 15 and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto made 19. Mushfiqur Rahim looked solid till he was dismissed for 26 off 53 balls. Mehidy Hasan Miraz was the last man out at the stroke of close for 11.
Litton Das is still at the crease and batting on 13* and will be joined by a new batter tomorrow. No extras given by Sri Lanka so far. Prabath Jayasuriya and captain Dhananjaya de Silva have picked up 2 wickets apiece. A wicket also to Asitha Fernando and Tharindu Ratnayake.
Pathum Nissanka falls for 158; Kusal Mendis takes charge of innings despite losing wickets in morning session
Pathum Nissanka and night watchman Prabath Jayasuriya resumed proceedings for the hosts. Nissanka completed his 150 for the second time in his career and in the series as well. Prabath was holding one end up and surviving as Sri Lanka crossed the 300-run mark.
Soon it was Taijul Islam that provided the breakthrough for the visitors as Nissanka fell for a magnificent 158 off 254 balls laced with 19 fours. Captain Dhananjaya de Silva was the next batter in and he did not last long either. He also fell to Taijul Islam trapped in front of the wickets. He reviewed in hope and lost his review. Sri Lanka were 313/4 in 85.5 overs when Kamindu Mendis joined Prabath Jayasuriya in the middle.
Kamindu started aggressively and played his natural game. He hit Nahid Rana as well for two boundaries in the 89th over but Nahid had the last laugh as he got rid of Prabath Jayasuriya for 10 caught by Mehidy Hasan Miraz at slip. Kusal Mendis joined Kamindu Mendis at the score of 335/5 in 89 overs.
The two Mendis’ tried to forge a partnership between them with Kamindu being the aggressor. Kusal also joined in the fun and started to hit boundaries at will. Both looked like taking the game away from Bangladesh even more. Nahid Rana was leaking runs despite picking up a wicket which was not helping the visitors.
The partnership continued until Nayeem Hasan came into the attack. He got rid of Kamindu Mendis by going through the gate and castling the middle stump. He fell for a good looking 33 off 41 balls with 5 fours to his name as Bangladesh were 384/6 in 98.5 overs. A partnership of 49 runs came to an end. Debutant Sonal Dinusha joined Kusal Mendis in the middle.
Kusal was very aggressive after the dismissal of Kamindu. Sonal also got a boundary to his name to get himself going. Soon, the 400 came up in the 102nd over and both Kusal and Sonal took the team to the Lunch break. At Lunch Sri Lanka were 401/6 in 103 overs. Kusal Mendis was batting on 42* off 48 balls alongside Sonal Dinusha the debutant batting on 8* off 9 balls. The lead was 154 runs for Sri Lanka with 4 wickets in hand.
Taijul Islam’s 17th five-wicket haul cleans up the tail despite Kusal 50; Bangladesh lose 1 at the stroke of Tea
Sonal Dinusha survived a scare first ball after the interval. He was given out caught behind to Nahid Rana but he successfully reviewed and got it overturned via DRS. But soon his luck ran out as Nayeem Hasan struck as the ball went through the gate and knocked the stumps over. Dinusha made 11 off 16 balls as Sri Lanka were 406/7 in 104.4 overs. Tharindu Ratnayake was the next batter joining Kusal Mendis.
Kusal Mendis started to take more risks and he was getting away with it. Soon he completed his 22nd Test fifty off 60 balls as he played with the tail. Tharindu hit Taijul for a maximum a little bit later on showing his intent. But Taijul had the last laugh a few overs later as he got rid of Tharindu for 10 off 20 balls. He had one six to his name. He tried to go big by playing the slog sweep and was taken by Anamul at long-on. Sri Lanka were now 429/8 in 111.3 overs with Vishwa Fernando joining Kusal Mendis in the middle.
Kusal was not ready to throw in the towel and was adding quick runs with the tail by playing audacious shots. Vishwa hung in there while Kusal hit 4s and 6s to get the lead past 200. Kusal was playing some streaky shots but was adding valuable runs for Sri Lanka. Soon after passing 450 in Taijul Islam’s over Kusal Mendis was run out while going for the second run.
The throw at the keeper’s end was collected well and whipped off the bails as Kusal fell for 84 off 87 balls a valuable knock under circumstances. Sri Lanka were reduced to 458/9 with Asitha Fernando joining Vishwa Fernando in the middle. Asitha came and lasted for four balls before Taijul finished things off picking up his 17th five-wicket haul. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 458 in 116.5 overs 10 extras given by the fielding side.
For Bangladesh, Taijul Islam bowled a marathon spell was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 5/131 in 42.5 overs. He was ably supported by Nayeem Hasan who finished with 4/87 in 18 overs. A wicket also for Nahid Rana who finished with 1/94 in 20 overs.
Bangladesh came out to bat facing a first innings deficit of 211 runs. The openers Shadman Islam and Anamul Haque came out to bat. Both began decently in the early exchanges. Runs came quickly in the initial overs as Anamul became the aggressor of the two. Runs were flowing as Bangladesh reached 28 in 5 overs with Anamul going at more than run a ball. But the joy was short-lived.
Right at the stroke of Tea, Anamul Haque was prized out by Asitha Fernando. The short length ball that Anamul pulled and got it off the bottom of the bat straight to short midwicket where Rathnayake takes a sitter and Tea was called with the score reading 31/1 in 6.5 overs. Shadman Islam was on 12* off 22 balls while Mominul was set to join him after the interval.
Sri Lanka take wickets at regular intervals to inch closer towards the win at close of play
Shadman Islam did not last long after Tea as Prabath Jayasuriya got his first wicket picking him up for 12. Fuller delivery that was tossed up, Shadman looked to prod and got the outside edge to Udara who was keeping wickets and registered his first catch, Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto joined Mominul Haque in the middle with the score reading 31/2.
The duo tried to weather the storm as runs started to dry up. From time to time, Shanto was playing shots as he hit Prabath for a maximum. But their main aim was hang in there which they did for a while. Shanto was given a reprieve by Udara off Prabath as he missed the stumping. Shanto survived a DRS call as well soon. The duo brought up the 50 for Bangladesh as well inside 16 overs.
Just when the partnership was building, captain Dhananjaya de Silva came into the attack and dismissed Mominul Haque for 15 off 33 balls with 2 boundaries to his name. Mominul tried to defend and got the outside edge to Kamindu Mendis who made no mistake. Bangladesh were 63/3 in 18.4 overs when experienced campaigner Mushfiqur Rahim joined his skipper in the middle. Rahim survived a DRS appeal against him soon.
Thereafter, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s innings came to an end as he fell to his opposite number. Dhananjaya caught him plumb in front and although he reviewed, it was in vain as Bangladesh lost a review as well. Suddenly, Bangladesh were 70/4 in 22.4 overs when Litton Das joined Mushfiqur Rahim in the middle.
The duo slowly started to stem the wicket flow by building up a partnership. Both started to look solid out in the middle. The light was deteriorating, but play continued as the umpires deemed fit for play. The boundaries had dried up although the duo hit boundaries from time to time. The Bangladesh 100 came up in 33.2 overs as Rahim was looking good in the middle.
Then tragedy struck for Bangladesh, as Prabath Jayasuriya broke the budding partnership. Mushfiqur Rahim the well set batter was knocked over. Good length delivery that drifted back in after pitching on the leg stump and turning sharply. Rahim was on the back foot trying to defend and got beaten on the outside edge.
The ball spins away to hit the top of off-pole as Rahim departed for 26 off 53 balls with 2 boundaries to his name as Bangladesh were now reduced to 100/5 in 34 overs. Mehidy Hasan Miraz walked out to bat at Number 7 joining Litton in the middle.
Both Litton and Mehidy’s aim was to play till the close of play. Mehidy Hasan Miraz hit a boundary to Tharindu Ratnayake as well. Litton struggled with back spasms and looked to waste time to take us to the close of play. But the ploy failed.
At the stroke of close, Mehidy Hasan Miraz was adjudged LBW to Tharindu Ratnayake. It was given NOT OUT, but Tharindu urged his skipper to go upstairs. It was short and straight on off-stump line. Miraz tried to block from his crease playing for the turn and was beaten on the outside edge. The ball hit him on the back knee roll ahead of the off stump. Nothing on UltraEdge and Three Reds on Ball Tracking meant the decision was reversed and a hammer blow to Bangladesh.
Mehidy fell for 11 off 16 balls as Stumps was called there with Bangladesh at 115/6 in 38.4 overs. Litton will start tomorrow with a new batter most likely Nayeem Hasan joining him in the morning. No extras given by Sri Lanka so far.
Prabath Jayasuriya was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/47 in 15 overs. Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva chipped in with 2/13 in 4 overs. Asitha Fernando ended the day at 1/22 in 8 overs. Tharindu Ratnayake was in his 3rd over as his figures read 2.4 overs 1/10. No wickets for Vishwa Fernando and Sonal Dinusha. Bangladesh trail by 96 runs with 4 second innings wickets in hand at Stumps on Day 3.
What Lies Ahead
Day 4 could well turn out to be the last day of the match and series assuming and hoping that the rain stays away. Sri Lanka are well on top at the moment. They still have 96 runs in the bank and need to take 4 second innings wickets of Bangladesh. The tail will be exposed first up tomorrow from one end at least. They will look to wrap things up quickly tomorrow. Litton Das will be the key for Bangladesh as he is the last recognised batter for them. He will have to navigate through the tail and try and avoid innings defeat. But an uphill battle awaits the visitors tomorrow.
A Sri Lanka win is on the cards in the post Angelo Mathews era. Stranger things have happened before, but this looks like will go according to the script. Let’s see how things unfold when Day 4 commences soon.
Also Read: SL vs BAN: Pathum Nissanka’s Majestic 4th Test Dismantles Bangladesh