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De Silva, Mendis tons as Sri Lanka subdue Bangladesh

Updated March 23 2024 - 1:05am, first published 1:03am
Sri Lanka's Dhananjaya de Silva played a captain's innings in the first Test against Bangladesh. (AP PHOTO)
Sri Lanka's Dhananjaya de Silva played a captain's innings in the first Test against Bangladesh. (AP PHOTO)

Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis have hit centuries as Sri Lanka recovered from early trouble to end day one on top in the opening Test.

Both de Silva and Kamindu scored 102 to steer Sri Lanka to 280 all out after they'd been reduced to 5-57 earlier on Friday.

The pacers then helped the visitors consolidate their position by reducing Bangladesh to 3-32 at stumps.

Fast bowlers Khaled Ahmed and Nahid Rana, who was making his debut, claimed three wickets each for Bangladesh on a day when 13 wickets tumbled.

Khaled (3-72) ripped through the top order before Rana, whose 3-87 included the wickets of both de Silva and Kamindu, caused havoc to the middle-order.

Khaled struck in the second over after Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and put Sri Lanka in to bat.

He had Nishan Madushka caught by Mehidy Hasan at third slip with a fuller, swinging delivery.

Kusal Mendis and Dimuth Karunaratne appeared to steady the innings, with Mendis reaching 4000 Test runs when he hit pace bowler Shoriful Islam for a boundary through fine-leg.

But Khaled undid him soon after with extra bounce, Mendis (16) pulling directly to gully where Zakir Hasan completed an easy catch.

Four balls later, Khaled bowled Karunarate for 17 to leave Sri Lanka at 3-41.

The situation worsened for the visitors when Angelo Mathews was run out for five and Shoriful Islam dismissed Dinesh Chandimal (nine).

But Kamindu and de Silva then denied Bangladesh a single wicket in the second session and combined for a 202-run for the sixth wicket.

Kamindu raised his maiden century off 126 balls, driving Rana past backward point for a boundary as Sri Lanka appeared to take the complete control.

But Rana broke through in the next delivery, making Kamindu his maiden Test wicket when the batter edged a delivery behind.

In the same over, de Silva completed his 12th century off 127 balls when he flicked Rana for a boundary past square leg, but the bowler got his revenge, dismissing him with a short ball in his next over.

Bangladesh's batters then squandered the chance to establish control.

Pacer Vishwa Fernando, who ended with 2-9, dealt them a double blow, dismissing Zakir Hasan (nine) and Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (five) in consecutive overs.

Fernando's new-ball partner Kasun Rajitha (1-20) then had Mominul Haque caught by Kamindu Mendis with Sri Lanka looking on top.

Australian Associated Press