DHAKA: Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 10 wickets in the second Test on Friday to clinch the series 1-0. Asitha Fernando had a career-best 6-51.
At Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, the visitors knocked Bangladesh out for 169 runs in their second innings, with the 24-year-old playing a key role.
“We knew we needed a couple of wickets to go our way,” said Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne.
“The fast bowlers did the job for us, both in the first innings as well as the second.”
After bowling Bangladesh out for 365 runs, Sri Lanka scored 506 runs in the first innings.
With an undefeated 21 in three overs, Oshada Fernando secured the crushing victory.
The hosts were 34-4 when play resumed on the fifth and final day, and Sri Lanka increased the pressure when Kasun Rajitha bowled Mushfiqur Rahim for 23 in the eighth over.
In a 110-run stand, Shakib Al Hasan and Liton Das both scored fifties and batted through the opening session with a mix of caution and aggression.
After resuming on one overnight, Shakib smashed Rajitha for three fours in one over, forcing Sri Lanka to extend their field set-up, while Liton played an anchor role.
On nine, Liton was caught behind by Rajitha as he sought to flick a ball down the leg, but the decision was overturned on review.
It was the match’s fourth caught behind ruling, all of which had been made by West Indies umpire Joel Wilson.
A punch in the face With a boundary off Dhananjaya de Silva in the last ball before lunch, Shakib made his 27th Test fifty, before Asitha drove the hosts’ collapse after lunch.
After dismissing openers Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Tamim Iqbal the day before, he claimed the scalps of both Liton and Shakib soon after the break, capturing four of the last five wickets.
Ramesh Mendis dismissed Mosaddek Hossain for nine runs before Asitha bowled Taijul Islam and Khaled Ahmed in quick succession to conclude Bangladesh’s innings.
“A disappointing performance,” said Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque.
“They put us under pressure with the new ball, we’ll have to handle it better next time,” he added.
The player of the series award went to Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka, who was unbeaten on 145 in the first innings.
In Chittagong, the first Test finished in a tie.
