Sri Lanka too good for Bangladesh
Sri Lanka tour of Bangladesh 2024 (Second Test)
Sri Lanka secured a dominant win over Bangladesh in the second Test match, claiming a convincing 192-run victory to complete the series sweep 2-0 in Chittagong on Wednesday.
Lahiru Kumara, the fast bowler, was the standout performer for Sri Lanka, taking 4-50 and dismissing the final batsman, Khaled Ahmed, to secure the win for his team before lunch on the fifth day.
Bangladesh, facing a challenging target of 511 runs in their second innings, struggled and could only add 50 runs to their overnight score of 268-7.
Despite Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s brave effort with an unbeaten 81, Bangladesh fell to Sri Lanka’s strong bowling attack. Mehidy reached his fifty off 68 balls with some aggressive strokes, but the dismissal of Taijul Islam for 14 further diminished Bangladesh’s chances of a comeback.
Kamindu Mendis, who excelled with the bat in the first innings with an unbeaten 92, was named the Man of the Match for his all-round performance and also received the Player of the Series award for his centuries in both innings of the first Test.
The Sri Lankan fast bowlers were in complete control throughout the proceedings, taking a staggering 33 out of the 40 wickets that fell for Bangladesh. This remarkable feat is even more impressive considering the traditionally spin-friendly pitches in Bangladesh.
Earlier In the second innings, Angelo Mathews (56) emerged as the highest scorer, while his partnership of 43 runs with Prabath Jayasuriya provided some respite to the team.
However, due to the substantial lead of 353 runs in the first innings, Sri Lanka never faced any significant pressure. Eventually, they declared at 157-7, leaving Bangladesh with a colossal target of 511 runs.
Although the hosts displayed a stronger resistance in the fourth innings, several batsmen failed to capitalize on their starts, resulting in wasted opportunities.
Reflecting on the victory of Sri Lanka, captain Dhananjaya de Silva commended the collective effort of his team. He mentioned that the bowlers executed their basics effectively on this pitch, while the batters also fulfilled their responsibilities.
“The bowlers did their basics on this wicket and the batters did their job as well. The batters were a bit disappointed about not getting runs in the first Test, but we have experienced players. I was confident they would get runs. There wasn’t a lot of spin on offer. So I thought about reverse swing as a way to get wickets. The pacers were really on the spot.”
Meanwhile Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto conveyed his dissatisfaction with his team’s batting displays and stressed the importance of self-reflection.
“Our batting performances have been lacking in converting good starts into substantial scores. This is a matter that requires careful consideration. It is crucial that when a player gets settled, they capitalize on it by scoring big. Engaging in more first-class cricket is essential for our improvement,” he remarked.
This was Sri Lanka’s last international series ahead of the T20I world cup 2024 in June.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 531 and 157-7 decl. (Angelo Mathews 56; Hasan Mahmud 4-65) beat Bangladesh178 and 318 (Mehidy Hasan Miraz 81, Mominul Haque 50; Lahiru Kumara 4-50) by 192 runs
