Bangladesh end day 1 losing 3wkts, still behind of 248 runs

Bangladesh could not hold the day with good spirits till the end as they lost three quick wickets within 31 runs, still falling behind 248 runs.

The Tigers finished the day with 32/3 playing 10 overs of the last session after they bundled Sri Lanka out for 280 runs at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Mominul Haque departed for their 9, 5, and 5 runs respectively. Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Taijul Islam remained on the crease till the end. Joy has so far scored nine runs while Taijul did not go to mark playing just one ball after being sent to the crease as a nightwatchman.

Earlier, debutant Nahid Rana sent two centurions back to the pavilion as Bangladesh bowled Sri Lanka out for 280 runs.

He struck twice in his two consecutive overs and took the wickets of Kamindu Mendis, 102, and Dhananjaya de Silva, 102, respectively to take control of the innings.

Opting to bowl, Khaled Ahmed and Shoriful Islam came with early strikes and rattled the Lankan top order as Bangladesh picked up five wickets in just 57 runs in the morning session.

However, the game was not yet. Dhananjaya and Kamindu stood together before Bangladeshi bowlers and made a 202-run stand in the sixth over to relieve the Lankan side.

It looked like the duo would extend their partnership and become more dangerous for Bangladesh, but Nahid Rana came with his wizard spell and took both of them in his two consecutive overs.

The rest of the Lankan batters departed at regular intervals following their top-order batters and Sri Lanka’s innings ended at 280.

In the three sessions, Sri Lanka lost five wickets each in the first and third sessions. The second session remained wicketless.

Khaled Ahmed and Nahid Rana bagged three wickets each for Bangladesh while Shoriful Islam and Taijul Islam got two apiece.

Playing XIs

Bangladesh: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mominul Haque, Litton Das (wk), Shahadat Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Shoriful Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Nahid Rana.

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara.