SYLHET, MARCH 25
Kasun Rajitha claimed 5-56 as Sri Lanka bowled Bangladesh out for 182 in its second innings Monday to clinch a 328-run victory in the first cricket test.
Rajitha, who returned 3-56 in the first innings, finished with career-best match figures of 8-112 in a test match. All 20 Bangladesh wickets were taken by seamers.
Mominul Haque played a lonely defiant innings for the hosts, stranded on 87 from 148 deliveries when the final wicket fell in the middle session on Day 4. His innings contained 12 boundaries and a six.
Bangladesh was set an improbable 511-run victory target after Sri Lanka rode on centuries in each innings from Kamindu Mendis and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva.
"When we saw it looked like a fast bowling wicket, we went with three seamers," de Silva said. "I think if you can get the new ball moving in any wicket, that's the wicket-taking options for the captain. Rather than going with the spinners, I am happy to go with the fast bowlers."
Sri Lanka made early inroads in Monday's morning session when Rajitha trapped Taijul Islam lbw for six in the second over after Bangladesh had resumed at 47-5.
Mominul and Mehidy Hasan combined for a 66-run seventh-wicket stand but Rajitha struck again to break up the partnership. Mehidy scored 33 from 50 deliveries before he played an expansive drive and got a thick outside edge.
"Mominul showed the value of the experience," Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said. "If he gets support from other end, the match could have gone to fifth day. But it's our mistakes that we played reckless shots, specially in the second innings."
Mominul also had a 47-run partnership with Shoriful Islam (12) for the eighth wicket, which only reduced the margin of the defeat.
Rajitha broke the partnership when he took a return catch to dismiss Shoriful. With his next delivery he had Khaled Ahmed caught by Kusal Mendis for a duck to complete the second five-wicket haul in his test career.
Kumara, who returned figures of 2-39, ended Bangladesh innings by dismissing Nahid Rana for duck.
Vishwa Fernando couldn't add to his three-wicket haul from Day 3 and finished with figures of 3-36 from 15 overs.
After recovering from an early batting collapse at the start of the match, Sri Lanka posted 280 in the first innings with de Silva and Mendis each scoring 102.
After dismissing Bangladesh for 188, de Silva (108) and Kamindu (164) again hit centuries as Sri Lanka reached 418 in its second innings to set up victory.
