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Wednesday, 13 March 2013 01:17 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
GALLE (Reuters): Bangla- desh drew the high-scoring first Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium on Tuesday to snap their 12-test losing streak against the islanders.
Chasing an improbable 268-run victory target with just one session and 37 overs left, Bangladesh were 70 for one wicket in 22 overs when the teams agreed to a draw after five days of batting dominance on a placid track.
Only 19 wickets fell in the test while eight centuries were scored, equalling the record set in the 2005 South Africa vs. West Indies test at Antigua. The 1,613 runs scored by both teams also made it the highest match-aggregate in a test in Sri Lanka.
“The wicket was absolutely a road,” said Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews. “The batsmen would have loved to bat for the next couple of days as well. It didn’t spin at all.
“The bowlers tried their best. It was just that the wicket didn’t give any sort of assistance.”
Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who scored his country’s maiden Test double century, was named man of the match. Mushfiqur said securing a draw was a ‘big achievement’ for Bangladesh.
“We hadn’t got a chance to get a lead whenever we had played Sri Lanka before and it’s a great achievement for us.
“That is our main target – to play Test cricket consistently.”
Colombo hosts the second and final test from Saturday.
Earlier, Kumar Sangakkara (105) helped himself to his second century of the match while Tillakaratne Dilshan (126) also joined the list of centurions before Sri Lanka declared their second innings on 335 for four at tea.
Sangakkara completed his 32nd test hundred shortly before lunch to become the fifth Sri Lankan – after Duleep Mendis, Asanka Gurusinha, Aravinda de Silva (twice) and Dilshan – to have scored centuries in both innings of a Test match.
He was dismissed in the second ball after lunch when he pulled a short delivery from Mahmudullah to Jaharul Islam at mid-wicket to fall after a 172-ball knock that had 10 fours in it.
Dilshan, who had scored his 16th test century off 190 balls with nine fours, was caught at deep square leg giving Mahmudullah his second wicket of the innings. Dilshan and Sangakkara put on 213 runs for the second wicket.
Mahmudullah captured his third victim when he bowled debutant Kithuruwan Vithanage (59) after inducing an inside edge. Mathews was unbeaten on 38 and Lahiru Thirimanne on two when Sri Lanka declared at the tea break.
