Angelo Mathews scored an unbeaten ton as Sri Lanka reached a commanding position against Bangladesh on Day 1 of the ongoing first Test at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, yesterday.
At stumps, the visitors were 258 for four with Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal batting on 114 and 34, respectively.
After electing to bat, Sri Lanka lost the wicket of skipper Dimuth Karunaratne early in the first session.
Oshada Fernando and Kusal Mendis then steadied the ship, adding 44 before the former was dismissed on a score of 36. Mendis and Mathews then led Sri Lanka’s revival, adding 92 runs for the third wicket.
For Bangladesh, Nayeem Hassan took two wickets while Taijul Islam and Shakib Al Hasan also picked a wicket each.
Mathews’ most fruitful zone was in front of the wicket, mostly driving straight on a wicket that had low bounce but was generally good for batting since the second session. Between extra cover and midwicket, he struck 11 boundaries including a straight six. He struck the rest of his fours through fine-leg.
When he was on 69, Mahmudul Hasan Joy dropped him at slip in the 65th over off Taijul, and although he made it up with a good grab in the next over to get rid of Dhananjaya de Silva, it was ultimately a costly drop.
The third session started poorly for Sri Lanka when Kusal Mendis pulled Taijul’s long-hop to Nayeem at short midwicket. They had earlier gone wicketless throughout the second session as Mathews and Mendis added 92 for the third wicket.
Mendis batted quite conservatively, only ever hitting a couple of cover drives and another boundary through midwicket, as he allowed Mathews to thrive.
They had come together late in the first session after Nayeem had taken two wickets in the first session. The offspinner playing his first Test in more than a year removed Dimuth Karunaratne in his first over, before getting Oshada Fernando caught behind. Bangladesh though lost two of their reviews with pretty ordinary lbw appeals.
Day Two of the first Test will resume at 9.30am today. (Agencies)