Promising left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan's triple-strike helped Sri Lanka restrict Bangladesh to 214/5 on the second day of their second cricket Test at the P. Sara Oval here on Thursday.
At stumps, all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was unbeaten on 18 runs with skipper Mushfiqur Rahim giving him company on two, as Bangladesh are still 125 runs behind the home team's first innings total of 338.
Bangladesh started their first essay on a positive note, with the opening duo of Tamim Iqbal (49) and Soumya Sarkar (61) stitching a solid 95-run stand before Imrul Kayes (34) and Sabbir Rehman (42) extended it further to 192/2.
Iqbal showed good technique and used his wrists to crack six boundaries in his 91-ball innings. He survived two loud leg before appeals when Sri Lanka opted against going for the review. Replays showed he would have been out if they had.
Sri Lanka, however, successfully got reviewed another decision to send the southpaw back before tea after he paired with Sarkar for Bangladesh's third successive 50-plus opening stand in the series.
Sarkar, at the other end, displayed powerful strokeplay and looked good for a big innings before Sandakan got him with a fine wrong one to reduce Bangladesh to 130/2.
Rahman and Kayes, who was dropped on 25 by Dinesh Chandimal, steadied the ship with the former showing some natural aggression and the latter sedate.
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They steadily kept the scoreboard ticking, cropping up 62 runs for the third wicket but with four overs left in the day the tourists were rocked.
Sri Lanka clawed back through Sandakan, who landed a double-strike to remove Kayes and nightwatchman Taijul Islam (0) in successive deliveries to be on a hat-trick.
Although Shakib fended off the hat-trick opportunity with a sweep, Rahman went for an untimely pull in the next over and miscued to be caught at leg gully as Bangladesh lost three wickets in the space of seven deliveries.
Earlier, in the morning session, Dinesh Chandimal (138) struck a sparkling century as the islanders stubbornly resisted to add 100 runs to their overnight score, much to the frustration of the tourists.
Off-spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz was the pick of the Bangladeshi bowlers, returning with figures of 3/90. Mustafizur Rahman, Shakib and Subashis Roy grabbed two wickets each.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka first innings 338 (Dinesh Chandimal 138, Suranga Lakmal 35, Niroshan Dickwella 34, Mehedi Hasan Miraz 3/90, Mustafizur Rahman 2/50) vs Bangladesh first innings 214/5 (Somya Sarkar 61, Tamim Iqbal 49, Sabbir Rahman 42, Lakshan Sandakan 3/65).
--IANS
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