Wickets continue to make Bangladesh’s job hard.
Bangladesh lost two wickets in a tense morning session on the fifth day as Sri Lanka looked on course to win the second and final Test in Chittagong on Saturday.
Bangladesh, set an improbable target of 467 to record a series-levelling win, took their overnight score of 12-0 to 91-2 by lunch at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium.
Tamim Iqbal and Shamsur Rahman put on 71 for the first wicket, before both openers fell in the space of 10 runs.
Tamim made 31 when he was bowled by leg-spinner Kithuruwan Vithanage, who was bowling for the first time in his short four-Test career.
Rahman, a century-maker in the first innings, looked in fine touch during his knock of 45 when he was bowled by off-spinner Dilruwan Perera.
At lunch, Imrul Kayes was unbeaten on two and Mominul Haque was on four, with Bangladesh still 376 runs away from victory.
Sri Lanka have two more sessions to claim the remaining eight wickets and sweep the series after winning the first Test by an innings and 248 runs in Dhaka last week.
Perera was Sri Lanka’s most impressive bowler, conceding just nine runs in 13 steady overs for one wicket.
Lunch scores on the fifth day of the second and final Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Chittagong on Saturday:
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 587 (K. Sangakkara 319, M. Jayawardene 72, A. Mendis 47, Shakib Al Hasan 5-148)
Bangladesh 1st innings: 426 (Shamsur Rahman 106, Imrul Kayes 115, Shakib Al Hasan 50, A. Mendis 6-99, D. Perera 3-119)
Sri Lanka 2nd innings 305-4 declared (K. Sangakkara 105, D. Chandimal 100 not out)
Bangladesh 2nd innings (overnight 12-0):
Tamim Iqbal b Vithanage 31
Shamsur Rahman b Perera 45
Imrul Kayes not out 2
Mominul Haque not out 4
Extras: (b5, nb4) 9
Total (for two wickets, 37 overs) 91
Fall of wickets: 1-71 (Tamim), 2-81 (Shamsur)
Bowling: Lakmal 8-3-19-0 (nb1), Perera 13-5-9-1, Mendis 5-0-20-0, Pradeep 4-1-16-0 (nb3), Vithanage 7-0-22-1
Bangladesh need 376 more runs to win with eight wickets in hand.
Toss: Sri Lanka
Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG) and Paul Reiffel (AUS)
TV umpire: Anisur Rahman (BAN)
Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
COMMENTS