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CHITTAGONG (Bangladesh), March 2: Ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan ripped through Bangladesh’s fragile batting line-up as Sri Lanka took command of the first Test on Thursday.
The 33-year-old spinner, who had taken three wickets in the first innings, also passed a unique milestone of 1,000 wickets in international cricket during his lethal spell.
The off-spinner grabbed 6-54 on the third day to skittle the home side out for a meagre 181 in their second innings after they had restricted the first innings lead for Sri Lanka to 19 runs.
Set 163 for a win, Sri Lanka were 25 without loss in their second innings, needing another 138 runs to go 1-0 up in the two-match series.
Muralitharan’s 49th haul of five or more wickets in a Test innings virtually sealed their fate after Bangladesh had put up a brave fight in the first innings.
Muralitharan, playing his 100th Test, needed five wickets to touch the four-figure mark before the match, having bagged 584 wickets in the longer version and 411 in One-day Internationals.
He reached the mark with the scalp of former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud (15) and also picked up the important wickets of first innings centurion Mohammad Ashraful (one) and top-scorer Mohammad Rafique (40).
Muralitharan got in on the act after paceman Dilhara Fernando pegged Bangladesh back.
Openers Javed Omar (31) and Nafees Iqbal (6) added 47 for a decent start before both fell to Fernando. Nafees edged a ball to wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara and Javed was trapped lbw nine runs later.
Earlier, pace bowler Shahadat Hossain struck three times for Bangladesh in the morning session as Sri Lanka lost their remaining four wickets for just 25 runs.
Shahadat used the short ball to good effect as overnight batsman Thilan Samaraweera (58) and tail-enders Fernando (six) and Muralitharan (five) all perished playing the pull shot, caught on the leg side.
Shahadat finished with 4-83, his best haul in four Tests and the second time he has taken four wickets in a Test innings after his 4-108 against Sri Lanka in Colombo last year.
The second and final Test will be held in Bogra from March 8.
Scoreboard
BANGLADESH (1st innings) 319 (Mohammad Ashraful 136; S.L. Malinga 4-57).
SRI LANKA (1st Innings, overnight 316-6):
M.G. Vandort c Mashud b Rasel 0
W.U. Tharanga c Ashraful b Rafique 42
K.C. Sangakkara c Ashraful b Enamul 69
M. Jayawardene c Shahadat b Rafique 30
T.T. Samaraweera c Javed b Shahadat 58
T.M. Dilshan lbw b Enamul 22
M.F. Maharoof b Shahadat 72
C.M. Bandara not out 19
C.R.D. Fernando c Shahriar b Shahadat 6
M. Muralitharan c Shahriar b Shahadat 5
S.L. Malinga run out 0
EXTRAS (LB-2, W-2, NB-11) 15
TOTAL (all out, 97.1 overs) 338
FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-86, 3-149, 4-149, 5-178, 6-295, 7-316, 8-330, 9-338.
BOWLING: Syed Rasel 18-1-75-1 (1w); Shahadat Hossain 22-3-83-4 (6nb, 1w); Mohammad Rafique 29-6-76-2 (1nb); Enamul Haque Jr 24.1-5-76-2 (4nb); Alok Kapali 1-0-6-0; Mohammad Ashraful 3-0-20-0.
BANGLADESH (2nd Innings):
Javed Omar lbw b Fernando 31
Nafees Iqbal c Sangakkara b Fernando 6
Habibul Bashar lbw b Bandara 12
Shahriar Nafees c Fernando b Murali 38
Mohammad Ashraful c Tharanga b Murali 1
Khaled Mashud c Dilshan b Murali 15
Alok Kapali lbw b Murali 9
M. Rafique st Sangakkara b Murali 40
Shahadat Hossain c Malinga b Bandara 0
Enamul Haque Jr lbw b Murali 1
Syed Rasel not out 2
EXTRAS (B-13, LB-3, W=3, NB-7) 26
TOTAL (all out, 58.5 overs) 181
FALL OF WKTS: 1-47, 2-56, 3-68, 4-69, 5-122, 6-131, 7-135, 8-150, 9-168.
BOWLING: Malinga 13-2-41-0 (3nb); Maharoof 2-0-5-0; Bandara 20-2-55-2; Muralitharan 19.5-6-54-6 (2nb); Fernando 4-1-10-2 (1nb, 3w).
SRI LANKA (2nd Innings):
M.G. Vandort not out 6
W.U. Tharanga not out 19
EXTRAS 0
TOTAL (for no wkt, 7.4 overs) 25
BOWLING (to-date): Syed Rasel 4-3-5-0; Shahadat Hossain 3.4-0-20–0.—Agencies
