PALLEKELE: The first Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh is heading for a high-scoring draw after the hosts finished on 512 for three in reply to Bangladesh’s 541-7 declared on day four on Saturday.

Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne posted a maiden double hundred and was well backed up by Dhananjaya de Silva, who was unbeaten on 154 as play was called off early on due to bad light. Play will resume early on Sunday after 22 overs were not bowled on day four.

Karunaratne and de Silva were involved in a 322-run partnership for the fourth wicket on a wicketless day dominated by the Sri Lankans, who began the day trailing Bangladesh by 312 runs and by stumps they had reduced the lead to just 29 runs.

Karunaratne has batted through the innings with his marathon lasting 11 hours. He has been on the field on all four days now a total of 1,443 minutes.

Karunaratne, who turned 33 on the first day of the match, was slow off the blocks and survived some nervous moments. When he was on 98, Bangladesh reviewed after a leg before wicket appeal was turned down. Soon he reached three figures by flicking Taskin Ahmed to mid-wicket for two. It was his 11th Test hundred.

The left-hander was in full flow after the milestone, coming down the track and lofting the spinners and at one point he even reverse paddled Taijul Islam to the vacant third man region for four.

De Silva, meanwhile, was hardly troubled as he hit some cracking shots. With good use of feet against spin, he didn’t allow Taijul or off-spinner Mehidy Hasan to settle down and Bangladesh failed to stop the boundaries.

After lunch, Sri Lanka went past the follow on score of 341 and cut loose from there.

De Silva went on to compile his seventh Test hundred and was unbeaten on 154, having batted for over six hours and facing 278 balls with 20 fours.

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH (1st Innings) 541-7 declared (Tamim Iqbal 90, Najmul Hossain Shanto 163, Mominul Haque 127 Mushfiqur Rahim 68 not out, Liton Das 50; M.V.T. Fernando 4-96).

SRI LANKA (1st Innings, overnight 229-3):

F.D.M. Karunaratne not out 234

H.D.R.L. Thirimanne lbw b Mehidy 58

B.O.P. Fernando c Liton b Taskin 20

A.D. Mathews b Taijul 25

D.M. de Silva not out 154

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-5, W-9, NB-3) 21

TOTAL (for three wkts, 149 overs) 512

FALL OF WKTS: 1-114, 2-157, 3-190.

TO BAT: P. Nissanka, W. Hasaranga, N. Dickwella, R.A.S. Lakmal, C.B.R.L.S. Kumara, M.V.T. Fernando.

BOWLING (to-date): Abu Jayed 13-1-58-0 (1nb, 1w); Taskin Ahmed 25-6-91-1; Ebadot Hossain 17-1-82-0 (2nbm 5w); Mehidy Hasan, 52-6-123-1 (1w); Taijul Islam 39-9-136-1; Mominul Haque 1-0-8-0; Saif Hassan 2-0-5-0.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2021