By On an unusually seam-dominated day in Sylhet, centuries from skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (102) and Kamindu Mendis (102) allowed the visitors to claim the honors on the opening day, despite 14 wickets falling. Put into bat on a grassy surface under overcast conditions, Sri Lanka found themselves struggling at 57/5 in the first session, with Khaled Mahmud (3-72) causing trouble for the top order. With the ball moving around on a tricky pitch, Sri Lanka were in a difficult position.
However, de Silva and Kamindu combined for a counter-attacking partnership of 202, coming off just 241 deliveries. Both batters showed proactive intent, leading Sri Lanka to a flawless post-lunch session where they scored 125 runs without losing any wickets, at a rate of well over 4 runs per over. After tea, both batters reached their centuries but fell in successive overs to debutant Nahid Rana (3-87). Bangladesh’s bowlers prevented the tail from wagging, but de Silva and Kamindu’s efforts had helped Sri Lanka reach a competitive first-innings total of 280.
De Silva and Kamindhu mendis gets tons
In reply, Bangladesh struggled in the ten overs they had to face till stumps. Vishwa Fernando dismissed opener Zakir Hasan and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, while Kasun Rajitha removed Mominul Haque, leaving the hosts in trouble. While batting became easier with the older ball, seamers consistently found something in their favor. There was also a hint of turn on offer. Considering Bangladesh’s typical pitch conditions, the Sylhet track is expected to become even more challenging to bat on as the days progress.
The Sri Lankan bowlers will be eager to exploit the conditions further and put pressure on the Bangladesh batting lineup early on day two. With the pitch likely to deteriorate and offer more assistance to the seamers, Sri Lanka will look to capitalize on their strong position and restrict Bangladesh to a manageable total. Bangladesh, on the other hand, will need their middle order to step up and support the top order to mount a comeback in the match.
