On day four of the Chattogram Test, the experienced Bangladesh hitter dominated the action, assisting his team to a first-innings lead before the hosts’ spinners reduced Sri Lanka to 39/2 at stumps.
Before being forced to declare their first innings on 465, Bangladesh had grabbed a 68-run advantage in the penultimate session of day four.
Mushfiqur Rahim topped the day’s action by becoming the first Pakistani to complete 5000 Test runs, followed by an excellent century.
Earlier, after a 30-minute rain delay, play resumed with the hosts on 318/3. Liton Das and Rahim, Bangladesh’s batsmen, extended their dominance in the morning session, putting Sri Lanka under strain.
Rahim, who was 15 runs away from being the first Pakistani to surpass 5000 runs in Test cricket, reached the milestone.
After hitting the milestone, he appeared more determined and batted with grit and patience, while Liton held his cool and took his time settling in the middle.
The Sri Lankan bowlers bowled several tight lines but failed to take any wickets; nonetheless, they were able to keep the run rate under control in the first session, giving only 67 runs, leaving Bangladesh on 385/3 at lunch, still 12 runs behind Sri Lanka.
After the lunch break, Sri Lanka got some relief when Kasun Rajihta took two wickets in the first two deliveries of the session.
Liton went chasing following a short and wide delivery from Rajitha but only managed to edge it to the wicketkeeper, falling for a well-made 88.
Tamim Iqbal (133), who had been injured the day before, was Rajitha’s second victim.
He returned to the crease but moved back as the Sri Lanka pacer angled in a fullish length delivery from round the wicket that blasted through Iqbal’s bat and pad gap, dislodging the bails.
With Shakib Al Hasan joining him on the field, Rahim was given the burden of rebuilding Bangladesh’s innings once more.
The Sri Lankan bowlers were fired up after two quick wickets and applied pressure to the next batter, Shakib.
However, Shakib survived when he was on 9; he edged one off Ramesh Mendis to the short leg fielder, who claimed the catch, but the umpire’s soft signal, backed by the third umpire’s not-out judgment, rescued him.
Shakib then came out and charged toward Ramesh, hitting him for a four down the ground in an attempt to escape the chains.
With a superb shot over covers, he got another four from Rajitha. Asitha Fernando was then introduced to the attack, and in his second over of the session, he grabbed the wicket of Shakib.
On 26, the left-hander failed to guide a short delivery from Asitha over the wicketkeeper, instead of edging it into Dickwella’s palms.
Asitha continued to use short balls against Nayeem Hasan and Rahim, the new batters.
Before Bangladesh went to tea at 436/6, the experienced batsman completed his seventh Test century with a boundary towards fine leg. Rahim was unbeaten on 104 and Nayeem was on 4.
After the interval, Sri Lanka eventually took Rahim’s wicket while he was attempting to sweep Lasith Embuldeniya, mistiming the stroke and being bowled around the legs, ending his tenacious innings on 105.
Sri Lanka quickly got their hands on the new ball, and Dhananjaya de Silva made his first breakthrough by dismissing Nayeem for nine runs.
Taijul Islam got 20 runs before succumbing to Asitha’s short delivery. Bangladesh had to declare their first innings with a 68-run lead when Shoriful Islam was forced to retire hurt after taking a knock to the hand.
Before stumps, Bangladesh had reduced Sri Lanka to 39/2 in 17.1 overs.
The hosts’ skipper Dimuth Karunaratne stayed unbeaten on 18 after avoiding a near return catch from Nayeem, but the other starter Oshada Fernando (19) was unlucky to be run out at the non-end striker’s due to a miscommunication between the batters.
Taijul dismissed nightwatchman Embuldeniya for two runs to end the day’s play.
