Sri Lanka pile up 531 and capture an early wicket

Kamindu Mendis was in fantastic touch again finishing unbeaten on 92

• Kamindu Mendis misses out on third consecutive century

Sri Lanka picked up the wicket of opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy for 21 as Bangladesh ended the second day at 55-1 facing a long haul over the next three days chasing a total of 531 on the second day of the second cricket Test at Chattogram on Sunday.

Sri Lanka’s total was the highest a team has managed in a Test innings with none of the batters crossing the three-figure mark. The previous best was India against New Zealand at Kanpur in 1976 when six Indian batters scored fifties in a total of 524-9 declared.

On day two skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis joined Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka and Kusal Mendis in scoring fifties.

In the morning session Sri Lanka lost the wicket of Chandimal for 59 scored off 104 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes), but De Silva joined by Kamindu Mendis took the score to 411-5 by lunch batting well mixing caution with aggression. The wicket continued to play well although on the slow side. Bangladesh would have been unhappy the way they bowled in the first hour. The pacers got the ball to move around but were inconsistent giving away too many boundary balls and letting Sri Lanka off the hook.

The afternoon was a slow moving session as Sri Lanka continued to inch their way towards a big total. De Silva went in the first over for 70 scored off 111 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes) but Prabath Jayasuriya who was dropped in the slips frustrated Bangladesh raising a partnership of 65 with Kamindu Mendis who ticked along nicely to register his fourth consecutive fifty-plus score in Test cricket (in his first four innings) becoming only the third cricketer in the history of the game to do so.  

Mendis was however unfortunate to miss out on a century when he was left stranded on 92 scored off 167 balls (7 fours, 2 sixes) as Sri Lanka’s innings eventually ended after wearing the Bangladesh attack down for 159 overs.

Shakib Al Hasan returning to international cricket after four months, with 3/110 was the pick of the bowlers.

Bangladesh openers started off on a solid note and looked well in control as the Lankan pacers didn’t get the same movement that the Bangladesh bowlers got. Lahiru Kumara got rid of Joy with a peach of a delivery, and Bangladesh batters face a tough task getting close to Sri Lanka’s total.

Bangladesh fielders trudge back at the end of the Sri Lanka first innings after being kept on the field for 159 overs