Bangladesh lost their final four wickets in the second session for 56 runs to be bundled out for 188 in 51.3 overs, conceding a 92-run first innings lead to Sri Lanka on the second day of the first Test at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium today.
Khaled Ahmed was the last batter to depart, nicking a ball to the keeper from Vishwa Fernando, after making 22 off 28, an innings that helped Bangladesh bring the deficit below the three-figure mark.
Khaled's wicket ended a disappointing batting performance from the Tigers, where night-watchman Taijul Islam was the standout performer with a fighting 47.
Sri Lanka pace trio of Fernando, Kasum Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara shared the 10 wickets, with Fernando leading the charge with 4 for 48 and Rajitha and Kumara taking three wickets each.
Earlier, Bangladesh had started the day's play on 32 for three. The hosts three wickets in the first session, all falling to Kumara, and lost the remaining four after the lunch interval, with Rajitha and Fernando picking up a couple of wickets each.
Khaled-Shoriful bring the deficit below 100
Khaled Ahmed and Shoriful Islam used the long handle to good effect as they brought down Bangladesh's deficit below 100 with a handy 40-run stand for the ninth wicket before the latter's dismissal ended the stand on the second session on Day 2 of the Sylhet Test today.
Bangladesh were trailing Sri Lanka by 133 runs when they lost Mehedi Hasan Miraz for 11, who got caught off a leading edge against pacer Kasun Rajitha.
Khaled and Shoriful then decided to chance their luck against the Lankan bowlers. Khaled hit the first six of the match, hitting a maximum off Rajitha over long off.
He hit his second six in the following over, smashing the ball over the cow corner against left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. Shoriful then joined the party, smashing consecutive sixes in the same over.
But the entertaining stand soon came to an end, when Shoriful, who made 15 off 21 balls, top-edged a pull shot which was caught by the bowler Vishwa Fernando.
The hosts are now nine down for 187, trailing Sri Lanka by 93 runs.
Taijul's resistance ends as Sri Lanka eye big lead
Taijul Islam's resistance ended on 47 as Bangladesh find themselves seven wickets down early in the post-lunch session, staring at conceding a sizable first innings lead to Sri Lanka on the second day of the first Test at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium today.
Taijul, who came out as a night-watchman the previous day after the fall of three quick wickets, batted through the morning session where the Tigers lost three more wickets to reach 132 for at lunch.
Taijul, who was unbeaten on 41 at lunch, departed in the fourth over of the second session, edging the ball off pacer Kasun Rajitha to the keeper after making 47, his highest score in Tests.
The hosts have lost their seventh wicket for 140, and are trailing the visitors by another 140 runs. Mehedi Hasan Miraz, unbeaten at four, is the last remaining batter and has been joined by Shoriful Islam.
Liton fails to capitalise on start as Tigers' troubles compound
Sri Lanka pacer Lahiru Kumara stole the show in the first session of the second day of the first Test against Bangladesh at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium today.
The right-arm quick took all three wickets that fell in the 26-over session, reducing the hosts to a precarious 132 for six after 36 overs at lunch.
Kumara's last victim was Liton Das, who started well but could not convert it into something meaningful. Liton, who has been struggling for runs in the shorter formats as of late, had played a few exquisite shots -- the highlight being a flick off his pads for a boundary through midwicket off the bowling of Kasun Rajitha.
However, his innings could not go any further than a 43-ball 25, laced with four boundaries, as he saw his stumps knocked over by a Kumara delivery that came back in sharply after having pitched outside the off-stump. That wicket also ended a 41-run stand between Liton and Taijul, who came in as a night-watchman at latter stage of play yesterday.
Taijul survived some close shaves but the left-hander showed grit and character to hang on as he remains unbeaten on 41 off 71 deliveries -- his highest score in Tests. He has now been joined by Mehedi Hasan Miraz, who remains not out on two off six deliveries as the Tigers look for a big partnership in reply to Sri Lanka's first-innings score of 280.
Meanwhile, before Liton's wicket, Lahiru had sent back Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Shahadat Hossain Dipu -- both edging back to be caught at slip cordon.
Kumara sends Joy, Dipu back early on Day 2
Sri Lanka pacer Lahiru Kumara got two crucial wickets to leave hosts Bangladesh in a precarious situation on Day 2 of their first Test at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium today.
Kumara had overnight batter Mahmudul Hasan Joy (12 off 46) edge one back to third slip with his very first delivery of the day before Shahadat Hossain Dipu in a similar manner just before the drinks break in the first session.
Dipu was caught by surprise with some extra bounce from the right-handed pacer as he edged a back of a length delivery to the first slip to become Kumara's second victim of the game. Dipu, who had started the rebuilding work with night-watchman Taijul Islam, had to depart after scoring 18 off 26 deliveries. The wicket also ended a 30-run fifth-wicket stand between Dipu and Taijul, who, meanwhile, has done well to prevail after coming in to hold the fort at the latter stage of play yesterday.
Taijul remains unbeaten on 22 off 51 deliveries with Liton Das not out on 6 off 15 deliveries as Bangladesh reached 92 for five after 27 overs. Liton, who has had a torrid time with the willow in the shorter formats recently, will be hoping to get some runs and help the Tigers recover.
Tigers lose Joy early on Day 2
Bangladesh's troubles compounded very early on Day 2 of their first Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday as the hosts lost overnight batter Mahmudul Hasan Joy just in the sixth over of the day.
After 18 overs, Bangladesh were 69 for four with young batter Shahadat Hossain Dipu unbeaten on 10 off 12 deliveries and night-watchman Taijul Islam not out on 14 off 25 deliveries.
The Sri Lankan pacers, who claimed three crucial wickets late on the opening day of the Test yesterday, started asking questions right from the beginning today.
And it did not take much longer for the visitors to get a reward as Lahiru Kumara, having just been introduced to the attack, induced an edge off the outside of Joy's bat in the 16th over of the innings. Joy walked off after a 46-ball 12 -- highest among the top four batters of Bangladesh, a stat highlighting the struggles of the Tigers' fragile batting lineup.
