COLOMBO, July 3: Sri Lanka took charge of the second cricket Test after Bangladesh crashed to their lowest total of 62 on the opening day's play here on Tuesday.

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga and off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan grabbed four wickets each as Bangladesh, sent in to bat by Sri Lanka, were dismissed in the first over after lunch off 25.2 overs.

Sri Lanka built on the advantage to reach 154-1 in their first innings before heavy rain ended play 16.3 overs early at the P. Sara Stadium.

Malinda Warnapura was unbeaten on 79 and Kumar Sangakkara was on 51, the pair having added 113 for the second wicket after Michael Vandort was bowled by fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza for 14.

Bangladesh, thrashed by an innings and 234 runs in last week's first Test, fell below their previous lowest total of 86, also against Sri Lanka in 2005.

Malinga, 23, whose distinctive slinging action makes him a dangerous foe, created havoc in the rival ranks by scalping the first four wickets in a hostile opening spell.

But the paceman lifted Bangladesh's drooping spirits by insisting they were not entirely to blame for the debacle.

“Any team would struggle against us because Sri Lanka has the best bowling attack in the world, even better than Australia's,” Malinga told reporters.

“We used the conditions very well. Bangladesh is still learning how hard Test cricket is. I am sure the experience here will help them in future.”

The tourists were reduced to 22-4 within the first hour, before Muralitharan (4-14) and third seamer Dilhara Fernando (2-16) polished off the rest of the batting.

Muralitharan moved his career tally to 687 wickets, leaving him just 21 short of equalling retired Australian spinner Shane Warne's world record haul of 708.

Bangladesh, who were bowled out for 89 on the first day of the previous Test, once again found the formidable Sri Lankan attack too hot to handle.

Rajin Saleh's 21 was the top score as none of the other batsmen reached double figures.

Malinga trapped Shahriar Nafees with his fourth delivery and then had the other opener, Javed Omar, caught behind by wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene three overs later.

The tourists slipped further as Malinga removed former captain Habibul Bashar and current skipper Mohammad Ashraful in four deliveries of his fifth over.

Habibul made five when he hung his bat out to an outswinger and was snapped up at second slip by Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene.

Ashraful fell to the last ball of the over as he flicked hard, but only to see Warnapura take a blinding catch in front of square leg.

Muralitharan, who came on in the 16th over, was hit for two boundaries by young Mushfiqur Rahim before the prolific off-spinner had him caught behind for nine.

Muralitharan had Mohammad Rafique caught in the deep and then ended Saleh's defiant knock just before lunch.

BANGLADESH (1st Innings):

Javed Omar c P. J’wardene b Malinga 8

Shahriar Nafees lbw b Malinga 0

Rajin Saleh c M. J’wardene b Murali 21

Habibul Bashar c M. J’wardene b Malinga 5

M. Ashraful c Warnapura b Malinga 0

Mehrab Hossain b Fernando 6

Mushfiqur Rahim c P. J’wardene b Murali 9

Mashrafe Mortaza c M. J’wardene b Fernando 0

Mohammad Rafique c Vaas b Murali 2

Mohammad Sharif not out 4

Shahadat Hossain b Murali 1

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-1, NB-4) 6

TOTAL (all out, 25.2 overs) 62

FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-14, 3-22, 4-22, 5-33,

6-45, 7-48, 8-51, 9-56.

BOWLING: Vaas 5-1-6-0; Malinga 9-1-25-4 (3nb, 1w); Fernando 6-1-16-2; Muralitharan 5.2-1-14-4 (1nb).

SRI LANKA (1st Innings):

M.G. Vandort b Mashrafe 14

B.S.M. Warnapura not out 79

K.C. Sangakkara not out 51

EXTRAS (LB-3, NB-7) 10

TOTAL (for one wkt, 45.3 overs) 154

FALL OF WKT: 1-41.

TO BAT: D.P.M.D. Jayawardene, L.P.C. Silva, T.M. Dilshan, H.A.P.W. Jayawardene, W.P.U.J.C. Vaas, S.L. Malinga, M. Muralitharan, C.R.D. Fernando.

BOWLING (to-date): Mashrafe Mortaza 12-1-31-1 (4nb); Shahadat Hossain 9-1-34-0; Mohammad Sharif 7.3-1-26-0; Mohammad Rafique 14-1-48-0 (3nb); Mohammad Ashraful 3-0-12-0.

UMPIRES: Asad Rauf (Pakistan) and R.E. Koertzen (South Africa).

TV UMPIRE: E.A.R. de Silva (Sri Lanka).

MATCH REFEREE: J.J. Crowe (New Zealand).—AFP