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Sri Lanka defeat Bangladesh by 209 runs in the 2nd Test and win the 2-match series by a 1-0 margin

Both Matches on same ground. charming and scenic ground
Last time SL played here they lost to WI in March 2020

20181020-101839-largejpg.jpg
 
Bangladesh has announced a 21-member preliminary squad for the Sri Lankan Test Tour, beginning 21 April with the return of Shuvagata Hom to the side.

The uncapped pace trio of Shoriful Islam, Mukidul Islam Mugdho, and Shohidul Islam have received their maiden call-ups for after an impressive domestic season.

Shuvagata Hom, who makes a comeback, last played international Test cricket in 2016 against England at home before being dropped. He has been recalled for his all-round abilities after showcasing consistency at the domestic level.

Excluded from the squad are Mustafizur Rahman, Soumya Sarkar and Hasan Mahmud, who were a part of the two-match Test series against West Indies. Meanwhile, Shakib Al Hasan has opted to play in the Indian Premier League.

Chief Selector Minhajul Abedin has said that Bangladesh will announce the final squad for the series after an inter-squad warm-up game.

“We have decided to take the preliminary squad to Sri Lanka as it would help our preparation and also give exposure to a number of players who are in our thinking for the longer version going forward.”

“Shoriful, Mukidul, and Shohidul have been in our HP setup and have impressed in whichever version they have played in. Mukidul and Shohidul in particular, have caught the eye in domestic first-class this season and are future Test prospects. They all have age on their side and are talented.”

“Shuvagata is coming back after a while but he has been a consistent performer in first-class cricket. We have considered him as a batting all-rounder but his off-break is pretty handy also and gives us an option in the spin department.”

The two-Test series begins on 21 April, with the Bangladesh squad arriving in Sri Lanka on 12 April. The Inter-squad warm-up match will be played between 17-18 April to finalize the squad.

Squad: Mominul Haque, Liton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Abu Jayed, Taijul Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali, Shoriful Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Mukidul Islam Mugdho, Shuvagata Hom, Shohidul Islam, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan
 
Bangladesh lost against a West Indies C side at home, so there is no chance that Bangladesh will be able to get anything out of this test series. I would be surprised if they avoid an innings defeat in both test matches.
 
The Pakistan Under-19 team's tour of Bangladesh has been called off with the current Covid-19 situation in the country in mind after both boards mutually agreed to postpone the tour.

The Pakistan Under-19 team was originally scheduled to reach Dhaka from Lahore on 11 April to play one four-dayer and five 50-over matches. However, the tour was rescheduled to begin on April 17 after the government announced a nationwide lockdown at the beginning of the month.

With the government preparing for another lockdown from April 14, the Bangladesh cricket Board has decided to call off the tour.

"Considering the overall situation, we were in constant touch with the Pakistan Cricket Board. We are planning to hold the series at a suitable time. Once we feel that Bangladesh can host international teams and the situation favours us, we will arrange the tour immediately," BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury told media yesterday.

The Tigers are also scheduled to host Sri Lanka in May for a three-match ODI series right after Bangladesh's tour of the island nation. The team will fly for Sri Lanka tomorrow to take part in a two-match Test series. After completing the tour, the BCB will host their Lankan counterpart for an ODI series.

When asked if that tour was under threat, Nizamuddin informed the home series was on schedule so far and the board was preparing with all aspects in mind.

"According to the ICC's Future Tours Programme, the Sri Lanka team is scheduled to tour Bangladesh. We expect Sri Lanka to arrive in Bangladesh in mid-May to take part in the three-matches ODI series. So far, Sri Lanka is scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh in mid-May and we are going to host the three ODIs in the latter part of May. We have set the programme keeping everything in consideration. Still, if there are any issues, we will take steps according to the situation," he said.

https://www.thedailystar.net/sports/news/sri-lanka-home-series-still-schedule-2075569
 
This is a must win Test series for both teams.

Bangladesh losing to a reserve WI side at home was a hammer blow. No Shakib or Mustafizur doesn't help either.

A few new names in their squad - seamer Mukidul Islam's FC record caught my eye with 26 wickets at 21 apiece from just 7 matches. Perhaps too early to debut at this stage, but Bangladesh need to develop some seamers and not to be over-reliant on spin.

Sri Lanka have recently lost to South Africa and then England at home, though showed some fight in a drawn series in the Caribbean where the likes of Thirimanne and Nissanka impressed. Also thought Lakmal was excellent while Chameera bowled some hostile spells.
 
DHAKA: Bangladesh Test captain Mominul Haque on Sunday ruled out any experimenting in the forthcoming Test series in Sri Lanka as they were badly in need of some results.

The Tigers will leave home Monday with an inflated squad for the two-Test series, beginning on April 21 in Kandy.

Kandy will also host the second Test from April 29. Both the games will be at Kandy, but without spectators.

Bangladeshi selectors earlier this week announced a 21-member squad for the series, saying the line-up for the series will be confirmed only after a two-day warm-up match in Sri Lanka.

"One can't experiment on a tour to Sri Lanka, particularly without results behind you. We need results, having failed in five or six Tests," Mominul told reporters in Dhaka.

"Sri Lanka are a great team at home. It will be challenging for us. It won't be easy for us. But the situation we find ourselves, we have to take up this challenge and find a good result for the team," Mominul said.

Bangladesh won just one of their last nine Test matches, which included a home series against a depleted West Indies side in February.
They also lost all matches in New Zealand in March, which included three one-day internationals and as many Twenty20 internationals.
Mominul, who was not part of the squad for New Zealand series, urged the team to forget the result and take only the positives from the series.

"New Zealand is in the past, "he said.

"But we can learn a few things from there. The pace bowlers have been doing well in the last four or five series. I am generally happy with the bowlers -- pacers and spinners," he said.

The Bangladesh series was originally scheduled for October and November last year but was postponed due to the pandemic.
Mominul hoped that the series will be competitive.

"I think it will be a competitive series. It will be challenging. Both teams have good pace bowlers. Batting is going to be very important. We haven't been batting up to everyone's expectations off late," he said.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...-result-in-sri-lanka/articleshow/82017643.cms
 
Should be an interesting series imo, both teams are at all-time lows in confidence and performance with criticism and scrutiny piling up.
 
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will host two test matches against the visiting Bangladesh Cricket Team starting on 21 April at the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium which is in top condition. The second test will commence on 29 April. Both these matches will be played behind closed doors.

A security meeting took place involving the Central Province Cricket Association President Sarath Ekanayake and Secretary Janaka Pathirana along with the Police and Army yesterday at the venue.

Ekanayake said: “We need to oblige to security and Health Ministry concerns. Sri Lanka did well to organise the LPL (Local Premier League) and England tour both taking place down south. This will be one of the test matches taking place in Kandy after many years. Both teams will be stationed at Ozo Hotel and only limited officials will be allowed for these two encounters. These matches will be live on television and no spectators will be allowed to witness these two matches.”

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Security Manager Palitha Seneviratne said: “At the moment the health guidelines do not allow any spectators for these matches. May be later on when the COVID situation improves they will be allowed to witness future tour matches. We are thankful to Police and Army for their support.”

http://www.ft.lk/sports/Bangladesh-Test-under-closed-doors/23-716327
 
The Selection Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket selected the following players to take part in the 02 match test series vs Bangladesh.

The squad was approved by the Minister of Youth and Sports Honorable Namal Rajapaksa.

SQUAD

01) Dimuth Karunaratne – Captain
02) Lahiru Thirimanne
03) Oshada Fernando
04) Angelo Mathews
05) Niroshan Dickwella
06) Dinesh Chandimal
07) Dasun Shanaka
08) Dhananjaya De Silva
09) Roshen Silva
10) Suranga Lakmal
11) Wanindu Hasaranga
12) Vishwa Fernado
13) Ramesh Mendis
14) Asitha Fernando
15) Lahiru Kumara
16) Pathum Nissanka
17) Dilshan Madushanka
18) Praveen Jayawickrema

The two match series will take place at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, starting from 21st April, 2021.
 
Sri Lanka v Bangladesh | 1st Test | Pallekele | 21-25 April, 2021 | Match Discussion

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will both be looking to move up the ICC World Test Championship standings when they face off in Pallekele.

Overview
Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, 1st Test
Pallekele Stadium, Pallekele
21-25 April, 10am local

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh sit eighth and ninth respectively on the ICC WTC ladder. Dimuth Karunaratne’s team have picked up 20 per cent of the points available to them so far, while Mominul Haque’s side are yet to get off the mark.

A 2-0 series win for Bangladesh would see them leapfrog Sri Lanka to eighth, as would a 1-0 result featuring a tied match.

A 2-0 win for Sri Lanka would see them draw level with sixth-placed West Indies, having collected 33.33 per cent of the points available to them across the tournament.

Sri Lanka started their WTC campaign on a positive note in August 2019, beating New Zealand by six wickets. But results have dried up for the Sri Lankans since then, with that victory their lone win in the WTC so far.

After a win, a loss and a draw across their first three WTC matches, Sri Lanka lost five straight matches to slide down the standings.

However, they ended their losing streak last month, drawing both Tests against the West Indies in Antigua. It was a campaign that had plenty of positives for the touring team.

Veteran seamer Suranga Lakmal was named Player of the Series for his 11 wickets at 21.45, while Lahiru Thirimanne (240 runs at 60.00), Oshada Fernando (179 at 59.66) and Niroshan Dickwella (49.33) all impressed with the bat. The most encouraging thing for Sri Lanka from the tour was the rise of Pathum Nissanka (163 at 54.33), who scored a century on debut and passed 50 in two of his three innings.

It has been a torrid WTC for Bangladesh and they will be keen to end a run of five consecutive WTC Test defeats when they walk out on Wednesday.

The two most recent losses, in February against the West Indies, were both tight affairs. Hosting the Caribbean side, Bangladesh suffered a three-wicket defeat in the first Test before losing the second by 17 runs.

The 2-0 series loss did still show the Tigers they have plenty to work with. Liton Das (200 at 50) and Mominul Haque (188 runs at 47) both enjoyed fine series with the bat, while Abu Jayed (six wickets at 21.66) and Taijul Islam (12 wickets at 26.58) impressed with the ball. Spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz shone in both departments, scoring 198 runs at 49.50 and taking 10 wickets at 26.10.

If they can replicate those performances this month, they should push Sri Lanka all the way.

Fixtures

1st Test: 21 to 25 April, 10am at Pallekele Stadium
2nd Test: 29 April to 3 May, 10am at Pallekele Stadium

Look out for

Mehidy Hasan Miraz: The right-arm off-spinner was Bangladesh’s standout player against the West Indies as he took his batting to the next level while still having an impact with the ball. He was at his best in the first match, scoring a century and taking eight wickets, and backed it up with a fifty in the second Test.

Pathum Nissanka: He’s only 22 years old, but by the time Nissanka played his first Test for Sri Lanka he had already been banging on the door for selection for years. The right-hander took to Test cricket with ease last month and you can expect him to thrive in home conditions. Across 55 first-class innings in Sri Lanka, he averages 73.06, with 13 centuries in that time.


Remember last time

Bangladesh are chasing their first Test series win over Sri Lanka, having suffered defeats in eight of the nine series they have played against them. In 2017, the last time they played Tests in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh managed a 1-1 draw and they will be hoping to go one better this time around.

The last time these two sides met in Test cricket was in Bangladesh in 2018 – a two-match series won 1-0 by Sri Lanka.

The first Test was a high-scoring draw featuring five centuries, including one in each innings from Mominul. Ball dominated bat in the second Test as Sri Lanka pulled off a comfortable 215-run victory.

Squads

Sri Lanka

Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Roshen Silva, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ramesh Mendis, Praveen Jayawickrama, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Asitha Fernando

Bangaldesh (first Test)

Mominul Haque (capt), Liton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Abu Jayed, Taijul Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hassan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali, Shoriful Islam

==

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Bangladesh have won the toss and have opted to bat

Teams:

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Dimuth Karunaratne(c), Lahiru Thirimanne, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Pathum Nissanka, Niroshan Dickwella(w), Wanindu Hasaranga, Suranga Lakmal, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara

Bangladesh (Playing XI): Tamim Iqbal, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque(c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das(w), Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain
 
Good start Bangladesh - 74/1 (19.5) CRR: 3.73 - 52* Tamim Iqbal
 
Lol dont tell me SL will lose a home test against BD?


Nah won't be that bad.. may be if Shakib was there, they had a chance but they don't have the bowlers to pick 20 Sri Lankan wickets on this track.
 
Really solid batting from BD. Need to put in 400+ or even more so that loss can potentially be out of the picture and then bowl well to tray to extract a win.

On the other hand Srl will try to restrict BD to 350-375 and then try to get some lead to put BD under pressure in 3rd innings.
 
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Shanto notches up maiden ton as dominant Bangladesh take command in Kandy

Bangladesh were in a commanding position by stumps on day one against Sri Lanka, thanks to a host of good batting performances, with Najmul Hossain Shanto scoring a maiden Test century.

There were half-centuries from Tamim Iqbal (90) and Mominul Haque (64*) as well as Bangladesh capitalised on winning the toss, despite getting off to a shaky start early on.

Vishwa Fernando had Saif Hassan trapped in front for nought in as early as the second over of the match to send the jitters through Bangladesh, but Tamim and Shanto combined for a 144-run stand for the second wicket that deflated Sri Lanka.

Tamim opted for an aggressive approach while Shanto played himself in cautiously, making for a diverse problems for the Sri Lankan attack. Tamim raced to his half-century in just 53 deliveries.

Their partnership helped Bangladesh head into Lunch at a healthy 106/1, and they carried on after resumption. Shanto registered his second half-century in Tests with a fine cut to the fence.

The pair added 48 more runs after the lunch break, but Sri Lanka got the breakthrough just when it seemed Tamim would coast to a century – he was caught at slips ten runs short, edging Fernando to the cordon. It was a much-needed breakthrough for the hosts, but they couldn't capitalise.

Mominul Haque was able to sustain Bangladesh's momentum, and the duo took Bangladesh through to Tea with 200 runs on the board.

Sri Lanka had no luck in the final session as Mominul and Shanto plundered the runs. Shanto brought up his maiden century in style, with a superb drive through covers, Mominul notched up a fine half-century, and Sri Lanka were frustrated by the time stumps were drawn.

The hosts will hope to get back into contention in the Test with a few early wickets on the second morning.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2112679
 
Brilliant opening day for Bangladesh.

But so often they throw away these good starts.

They need to make this count - 500 plus and then turn the heat on Sri Lanka.
 
314/2 (96.4) CRR: 3.25

Potential to score 450+ here and put the match out of reach for Sri Lanka
 
Conceding 500 against Bangladesh should get you some demerit points or something. Pretty inexcusable from Sri Lanka, especially at home.
 
Bangladesh's domination over Sri Lanka continued on the second day in Pallekele as Mominul Haque and Najmul Hossain Shanto put on a record partnership to hep the visitors post 474/4 by stumps.

Had bad light not forced play to end early on Thursday, 22 April, Bangladesh may well have crossed the 500-run mark. As it stands, however, the Sri Lanka bowlers have their work cut out on the third day, with Bangladesh looking set to post a big total.

Persistent bad light forces umpires to call off play on day two.

Bangladesh resumed the second day at 302/2. The overnight batters Shanto and Mominul showed no signs of slowing down, going another session without losing their wicket. The duo added 76 runs in the first session, negotiating some tight bowling, even as the Sri Lanka bowlers toiled without much to show for their efforts.

Shanto and Mominul went on to register the highest third-wicket partnership in Bangladesh Test history, overtaking Mominul and Mushfiqur’s previous best of 236 runs against the same opposition in 2018. The pair stitched together a monumental stand of 242 runs in 517 balls.

Mominul reached his first overseas century, and his 11th overall, with a boundary. However, it wasn't long thereafter that Sri Lanka had their breakthrough – Lahiru Kumara took a return catch from Shanto, ending the 22-year-old's fine knock. It was a slower delivery that did in for Shanto, the pitch holding it up just enough to deceive the batsman.

Subsequently, the settled Mominul followed suit, edging Dhananjaya de Silva to slips off one that gripped and turned. With both the set batsmen back in the pavilion, Sri Lanka regained some control in the second session.

Bangladesh weren't done yet. Mushfiqur Rahim (43*) and Liton Das (25*) combined to bring up a fifty-run partnership for the fifth wicket to further trouble the hosts.

The flow of runs was stopped only by natural elements – a bit of rain, and subsequent overcast conditions meant play was called off due to bad light. The third day's play will commence 15 minutes earlier than scheduled.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2114220
 
Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan fall in quick succession, but Mushfiqur Rahim is powering on.

Bangladesh are cruising at 519/6
 
Bangladesh declare at 541/7 after nearly six sessions of batting.
 
Day 2 Session 2
SL 114/1 (39 ov) CRR : 2.92
Karunaratne (43) is joined by Fernando (0)
as Lahiru Thirimanne is out lbw to Mehidy Hasan Miraz (scoring 58 off 125 with 8 fours)
 
216/3 (68.2) CRR: 3.16
Day 3: 3rd Session - Sri Lanka trail by 325 runs
 
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2115455

A solid opening stand between Dimuth Karunaratne (85*) and Lahiru Thirimanne (58) headlined Sri Lanka's strong response. They were 229/3 at the end of day three, trailing by 312 runs.

In the first session, Bangladesh declared their innings on 541/7 after valuable fifties from Liton Das (50) and Mushfiqur Rahim (68*).

In reply, Sri Lanka got off to a steady start. Thirimanne was nervy at the beginning, surviving a couple of close calls. But he and Karunaratne managed to survive and take the team through to lunch without losing any wickets.

After lunch, both openers picked up the pace. The opening partnership helped push Sri Lanka's score past the 100-run mark, during the course of which both batsmen brought up their respective fifties.

Sri Lanka's opening stand was dealt a huge blow after Thirimanne was trapped lbw by Mehidy Hasan at the stroke of tea.

Oshada Fernando came in to bat at No.3, however, he failed to capitalize on his good start as he fell to Taskin Ahmed for a score of 20. At 157/2, Angelo Mathews joined Karunaratne in the middle, looking to build a solid foundation to tackle the daunting lead set by Bangladesh.

Matthews did not hold back, as he played the aggressor in the partnership. His efforts to revive Sri Lanka's innings came to an end after he was bowled by Taijul Islam.

Oshada Fernando and Angelo Mathews began well but failed to convert their good starts into big scores and they departed in the 20s.

Karunaratne then found support in the form of Dhananjaya de Silva (26*) as they saw Sri Lanka to stumps at 229/3.

Earlier, Bangladesh resumed the third day at 474//4 with Mushfiqur and Liton at the crease. The batsman picked up where they left off, adding a quick-fire 37 runs to their day two partnership. Rahim brought up his half-century – a calculated knock; Liton, on the other hand, registered up his half-century in a much quicker fashion, taking only 67 balls. The partnership helped push Bangladesh's total past the 500-run mark.

Vishwa Fernando got the much-needed breakthrough for Sri Lanka, picking up the key wicket of Liton, and putting an end to the threatening 87-run fifth-wicket stand.

From there, Mehidy Hasan perished to Suranga Lakmal, scoring just three runs. Then, Taskin Ahmed became Fernando's fourth victim, after nicking the ball to Niroshan Dickwella. Bangladesh finally declared at 541/7 with 30 minutes to go in the first session.
 
Draw seems likely.

Bangladeshi bowlers don't look like they can take 20 wickets.

BD batted pretty well. It looks like the pitch hasnt deteriorated much till now, so unless any of the BD bowler turns it around tmw it may well be headed for a draw. However, quite a few positives for BD batting going forward. Maybe Shoriful Islam can be given a debut in the next match to provide that left arm angle and variety over Ebadot Hussain unless he leaves an impression in this match.
 
Maybe Shoriful Islam can be given a debut in the next match to provide that left arm angle and variety over Ebadot Hussain unless he leaves an impression in this match.

According to cricinfo, Ebadat got close to 150 kph...the quickest I saw was around 147, so its possible. That is certainly extremely rare in BD so even if he's going for some runs, we need to stick with him.
 
SL 346/3 (106.2) CRR: 3.25
Day 4: 2nd Session - Sri Lanka trail by 195 runs

Sri Lanka looking steady - good batting from both sides - boring draw coming up
 
I wonder why these kind of wickets never get as much backlash as the "rank-turners" do....

It's almost tea on day 4 and we have seen a grand total of 10 wickets falling.... :facepalm:

Would much rather have a 3 day finish over these borefests.
 
Test cricket is the safest format to play during the covid pandemic, you don't have to do anything to follow social distancing. No crowd, no one comes to watch it. Who would come to see two unfancied teams playing dull cricket and piling up runs on a road like wicket . Day 4 and still 1st inning going on.
 
This is the other extreme from that Ahmedabad pitch. This should be rated as poor from ICC.
 
I wonder why these kind of wickets never get as much backlash as the "rank-turners" do....

It's almost tea on day 4 and we have seen a grand total of 10 wickets falling.... :facepalm:

Would much rather have a 3 day finish over these borefests.

Indeed...
This match is pathetic, no purpose at all.
 
BAN 541/7 d
SL 512/3 (149) CRR: 3.44
Day 4: Bad light stops play - Sri Lanka trail by 29 runs

==

Think should be stumps soon

Stalemate this
 
Last edited:
A wicketless day for Bangladesh as Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne and Dhananjaya de Silva shared an unbeaten 322-run stand before bad light stopped play.

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This is more like the old SSC wicket I guess. Sri Lanka have no faith in their batting. Scared of losing to BD and threw up a pancake of a wicket.
 
Unstoppable Karunaratne, Dhananjaya make Bangladesh bowlers toil

An unbeaten 322-run fourth-wicket partnership between Dimuth Karunaratne (234*) and Dhananjaya de Silva (154*) meant Sri Lanka reduced their first -innings deficit to 29.

Captain Dimuth Karunaratne led the defiance for Sri Lanka on day four as he smashed his first double hundred in Tests which was followed by reinforcement from Dhananjaya de Silva who struck his seventh century in the format. The pair remained unbeaten as hapless Bangladesh went wicketless through the day.

The barrage of counter-offense from the hosts came from both ends. Karunaratne and Dhananjaya gave their side the desired start to the morning as they negotiated the second new ball and scored 102 runs in the first session with Karunaratne reaching the three-figure mark for the 11th time in Tests.

The duo upped the ante beginning the second session. Bangladesh bowlers leaked runs, 37 runs in 5 overs after lunch, with 24 coming off Ebador Hossain’s two overs.

Then, Dhananjaya reached the hundred milestone with a boundary to mark his second ton against Bangladesh in this format. The hosts took charge of the second session as they scored 111 runs.

The day came to halt with clouds blocking the sun making light unsuitable to resume play. The third session commenced once the sun glistened through the dark clouds providing the spotlight for skipper Karunaratne to reach his maiden double century.

Anxious to reach this milestone, Karunaratne played a false shot that induced an edge but to his favor, the ball fell short of the wicketkeeper and traveled to the boundary rope.

The day once again came to a halt when the umpires deemed light unsatisfactory to continue play with Sri Lanka ending with 512/3 on the scoreboard trailing behind Bangladesh by 29 runs.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2116943
 
What a boring run fest. I would anyday prefer a pitch where teams struggle to bat out 3 days than this. I mean there is a chance 2nd innings won't even be played out at end of 5 days. Inexplicable

Surely fans of cricket will remember those games and this will be distant memory
 
This is more like the old SSC wicket I guess. Sri Lanka have no faith in their batting. Scared of losing to BD and threw up a pancake of a wicket.


Oh man remember those games... :shezzy2

Sanga and Mahela used to put up 1000 run partnerships for fun.
 
Bangladesh picked up five wickets in the morning session as Sri Lanka went to lunch on 648/8, leading by 107.

EzzQVWCVcAIHAZo
 
Sri Lanka have declared! #SLvBAN

With a lead of 107 runs, Bangladesh will have to bat through the remainder of day 5
 
Tea on Day 5, this match has drawn written all over it since the 1st day.
WhatsApp Image 2021-04-25 at 2.41.05 PM.jpg
 
Thankfully the 1st Test comes to an end.

The sort of match that would put anyone off Test cricket.
 
The high-scoring Pallekele Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh ended in a draw on a rain-marred day five.

After going wicketless for the entirety of day four, Bangladesh bowlers bounced back with five wickets in the morning session of the final day. They ended the monstrous 345-run third-wicket stand between Dhananjaya de Silva and Dimuth Karunaratne. The breakthrough came courtesy of Taskin Ahmed, who induced de Silva to edge the ball onto the stumps.

The Bangladesh paceman struck again in his next over, picking up the prized wicket of Karunaratne, who missed out on the chance of reaching his 250, falling short by six runs.

Pathum Nissanka became Bangladesh's third victim of the session, falling to Ebadot Hossain, for 12. Towards the end, handy contributions from Niroshan Dickwella (31) and Wanindu Hasaranga (43), and Suranga Lakmal (23*) allowed Sri Lanka to cross a 100-run lead. Captain Karunaratne then called the batsmen in, with Sri Lanka declaring on 648/8, with a first-innings lead of 107.

Bangladesh got off to a shaky start in their second innings. Lakmal dealt a double blow, dismissing Saif Hassan after his edge found the keeper. In his next over, he picked up the key wicket of Najmul Hossain, who had scored 163 in the first innings, for a duck.

After the two early wickets, Tamim Iqbal and Mominul Haque joined forces in the middle to rebuild the Bangladesh innings. Tamim seemed in good touch as he dealt with Sri Lankan bowling with relative ease. He registered his 30th half-century in Tests with a sublime cover drive off Vishwa Fernando's bowling.

Unfortunately, the rain started pouring down heavily, washing off the final session and putting an end to the high-scoring affair.

The second Test will take place at the same venue from 29 April to 3 May.
 
I was surprised to see Bangladesh bat so well for once in Test cricket. But it turns out that the road of a wicket would be great for anyone who wants to score a personal world record of 600*
 
This is the type of pitch that Sri Lanka rolled out in 1997 to score 952 against India.
 
Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce that Lakshan Sandakan and Chamika Karunaratne have been named by the Cricket Selection Committee, as replacements for Lahiru Kumara and Dilshan Madushanka, who will not take further part in the ongoing test series against Bangladesh owing to injury.

Both Sandakan and Karunaratne joined the team today after going through the required health protocols.
 
It'll be 1-1. We have enough firepower to win a test v Lanka.

Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce that Lakshan Sandakan and Chamika Karunaratne have been named by the Cricket Selection Committee, as replacements for Lahiru Kumara and Dilshan Madushanka, who will not take further part in the ongoing test series against Bangladesh owing to injury.

Both Sandakan and Karunaratne joined the team today after going through the required health protocols.

Any news about Lasith Embuldenya?
He looked like a fine spinner, not sure why he isn't a part of this Sri Lankan team!
 
This wicket was good to get Shanto and Mominul some much needed runs.

Hopefully the 2nd Test has a more sporting wicket.
 
No surprise there!

==

Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees has rated the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium pitch in Kandy that was used for the first Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as “below average” and the venue has received one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

Mr Madugalle said: “The character of the pitch hardly changed over the course of five days. There was no shift in balance between bat and ball as the game progressed. The pitch remained batting friendly throughout, resulting in a total of 1289 runs scored in the match for the loss of 17 wickets at an average of 75.82 runs per wicket, which is very high. Therefore, in keeping with the ICC guidelines I rate this pitch as below average.”

Mr. Madugalle’s report has been forwarded to Sri Lanka Cricket.
 
Following a draw in the first match, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka face-off in the series-deciding second Test, starting Thursday, 29 April.

Overview

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, 2nd Test
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele
29 April - 3 May, 10am local; 04:30am GMT

The first Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh ended in a high-scoring draw after rain washed out the final session on the final day. It was the first time that a Test match in Sri Lanka ended with no result after 28 straight results.

It was a batting paradise for both sides, with Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scoring for Bangladesh with 163 runs from 378 balls and Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque made 127 off 304 deliveries.

For Sri Lanka, Dimuth Karunaratne and Dhananjaya de Silva added 322 runs for the fourth wicket, making it the highest stand at Pallekele for any wicket in Tests, breaking the previous record of 258 by Australia's Mike Hussey and Shaun Marsh.

The flat pitch didn't help the bowlers much, with only 17 wickets falling in the entirety of the match. Vishwa Fernando was the top wicket-taker with four scalps.

Remember the last time

After choosing to bat first, Bangladesh lost the wicket of Saif Hassan early but quickly recovered with Tamim Iqbal and Shanto at the crease. The pair shared a solid partnership of 144 runs before Tamim departed 10 runs short of his hundred. Mominul then joined forces with Shanto as the pair went on to add a mammoth 242 runs with both batsmen scoring centuries. Shanto went on to top-score for his side. Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das gave one final push with their 87-run partnership as Bangladesh declared at 541/7.

In reply, Sri Lanka started well with Karunaratne and Thirimanne adding 114 runs with their opening stand. After Thirimanne departed, Sri Lanka lost the wickets of Oshada Fernando and Angelo Mathews. In came Dhananjaya de Silva at No.5 joining Karunaratne in the middle. The duo stitched together a record 322-run stand with Karunaratne scoring 244 and de Silva, 166. Sri Lanka declared leading by 107, with an eye on getting quick wickets and possibly a result.

Bangladesh had a wobble in the second innings losing two early wickets. However, Tamim and Haque helped get their innings back on track adding 73 runs. On day five, the rain started pouring in the evening and ended up washing off the final session completely.

What they said

Dimuth Karunaratne( Sri Lanka captain): "I had a very tough time in the West Indies, so wanted to make the most of these conditions. We thought the wicket would have pace and bounce, but the conditions and heat made the pitch flat. Bangladesh batters also played really well. There was nothing much for the bowlers, it was a batting paradise. There was no threat for the batsmen in the second innings as well, nothing much we could have done on this kind of a wicket. We need something in the pitch for the bowlers (in the next game) because we need 20 wickets to win."

Mominul Haque (Bangladesh captain): "It was a team performance, everyone contributed really well, especially Shanto. Tamim and Mushy also played crucial knocks and the bowlers, especially Taskin and the spinners, tried really hard. When you start the first Test on a good note, it will definitely give us some confidence going into the next game."
 
Sri Lanka have won the toss and have opted to bat

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Dimuth Karunaratne(c), Lahiru Thirimanne, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Pathum Nissanka, Niroshan Dickwella(w), Ramesh Mendis, Suranga Lakmal, Vishwa Fernando, Praveen Jayawickrama

Bangladesh (Playing XI): Tamim Iqbal, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque(c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das(w), Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Abu Jayed
 
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SL 50/0 (21.1) CRR: 2.36

Slow and steady but looks like another big score coming up
 
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2122390

Centuries from Dimuth Karunaratne (118) and Lahiru Thirimanne (131*) steered Sri Lanka towards a potentially mammoth first-innings total on day one of the final test in Pallekele.

After Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat, their openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne put them in charge straightaway.

Bangladesh bowlers threatened in the first 10 overs, when they found some purchase from the new ball, but as conditions increasingly favored batters thereafter, the visitors struggled. Karunaratne and Thirimanne's partnership was intact in the morning, the duo putting on 66 runs in the first session.

It didn't help that the Bangladesh fielders had an off-day, failing to maximise a few opportunities. Karunaratne was given an extra life when Najmul Hossain Shanto dropped him at second slip when he was on 28. It would prove a costly miss.

Karunaratne’s purple patch continued. The skipper smashed a sensational ton – 118 runs off 190 balls – and brought up his 12th century in Test cricket. During the course of the knock, he also became only the 10th Sri Lanka batsman to breach the 5000-run mark in Tests.

Thirimanne was the more assiduous batsman of the two, but together, they formed a deadly combination, and Bangladesh's struggles extended well into the day. The breakthrough came via the debutant, Shoriful Islam, as he snared the dangerous Karunaratne.

Shoriful targeted the outside-off channel with his left-arm pace, and after sticking to that line with patience, the edge was induced. The opening stand was worth 209, laying the perfect foundation for Sri Lanka to post a tall total.

Thirimanne continued unperturbed, despite losing his opening partner, and Oshada Fernando proved adequate support at the other end. By the time the stumps were drawn, the duo had added 82 runs, 40 of those runs coming from Fernando.

Thirimanne scored a resilient 131* (253), adding to Bangladesh's woes, but there was a scare late in the day when he was adjudged out leg-before wicket – the decision was overturned on review, and Bangladesh have it all to do on the second day.
 
SL 313/1 (103.4) CRR: 3.02

And it continues.
 
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