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Sri Lanka crush Bangladesh in first Test

26 Mar 2024 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}      

Kasun Rajith celeabrates a dismissal  

Vishwa Fernando took three wickets in the last hour

Seamers Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando and Lahiru Lumara shared all 10 wickets to help Sri Lanka thrash Bangladesh by 328 runs on the fourth day of the opening Test to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series yesterday.  
Having set Bangladesh a mammoth victory target of 511 after Kamindu Mendis scored 164 and Dhananjaya de Silva 108 in the second innings in Sylhet, Sri Lanka bowled out the host for 182 in 49.2 overs.  
Kamindu and De Silva stitched together a 173-run partnership on the third day as Sri Lanka made 418 all out, marking only the third time that two 150-plus stands had been shared in one test match by the same pair.  


Bangladesh lost half their side on Sunday with only 47 on the board - still needing 464 for victory - and folded after a late fightback on the fourth day, with Rajitha taking five for 56 and Fernando claiming three for 36.  
Mominul Haque offered resistance with an unbeaten 87 but could not prevent the inevitable.  
Earlier, knocks of 102 by Kamindu and De Silva were outstanding performances on a challenging wicket as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 280 on the opening day.  
After Bangladesh’s Khaled Ahmed and Nahid Rana took six wickets, it was the turn of Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers to shine, and they ripped through the hosts to secure a 92-run lead.  
Fernando captured four wickets while Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara bagged three each before Dimuth Karunaratne’s 36th Test half century helped the tourists increase their lead late on the second day. The second test begins in Chattogram on March 30. 
(Agencies)