Dilshan wrests advantage from Bangladesh by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Event:

Sri Lanka in Bangladesh 2008/09

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DateLine: 3rd January 2009

 

The first few hours of the Test Jayawardene would have thought that his 100th Test might turn out to be a nightmare, as Sri Lanka had lost their top four with practically nothing on the board. It was then that Dilshan came to the crease with the swagger of Viv Richards and counterattacked with some stunning shots to all parts of the ground. He was well supported by Warnapura and then by Kapugedera. Bangladesh who dominated for the better part of the first session once again let go the opportunity through their fingers. At the end of the first day's play Sri Lanka was sitting pretty at 371 for 6.

 

Bangladesh made a bright beginning to the second Test in Chittagong taking three wickets, including the big ones of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, in the first session. On a slow pitch which was difficult for shot making, Mashrafe Mortaza gave the perfect start to the hosts, trapping makeshift opener Prasanna Jayawardene lbw in the first over. In his next over, he had Sangakkara inside-edging onto the stumps, and Sri Lanka had stumbled to 7 for 2. Mortaza bowled a ten-over spell and had superb returns of 10-5-12-2 to show for his efforts. Mahela Jayawardene, playing in his 100th Test, and opener Malinda Warnapura staged a slow recovery, adding 37 in nearly 15 overs. The pitch started to offer turn in the 10th over itself, and with ball not coming on to the bat, Mahela was forced to check his shots on several occasions, especially against Shakib Al Hasan.

 

Shakib, fresh from his Man-of-the-Match performance in the first Test, proved a handful again. He got good turn and bounce and should have had Warnapura stumped down the leg side but wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim failed to gather the ball. Mushfiqur didn't make any mistake two balls later when a tossed-up delivery from Shakib induced an edge from Mahela. Warnapura and Thilan Samaraweera took Sri Lanka to lunch without any further losses.

 

In the second session it was Bangladesh who began well, with Shahadat Hossain bowling Thilan Samaraweera in the second over. However Tillakaratne Dilshan's counterattacking innings rescued Sri Lanka from 75 for 4, and a century partnership with the patient Malinda Warnapura helped his side reach a healthy position by tea.

 

Sri Lanka had been pottering along at around two-and-a-half runs an over till Dilshan's arrival, and he boosted that to a healthy four by the end of the session. In one particularly brutal spell, 53 runs came off six overs, with Dilshan helping himself to 18 off one over of short-pitched offerings from Shahadat. He was confident against the spinners, charging out even against the in-form Shakib Al Hasan. There was a reprieve for him on 78 when Junaid Siddique failed to latch on to a thick outside edge at first slip. Dilshan was supported by Warnapura, who made 65. Sri Lanka were cruising at 190 for 4, with both the regular spinners blunted, when Warnapura fell lbw to an innocuous straighter delivery from part-timer Mohammad Ashraful. Chamara Kapugedera, the next man in, followed Dilshan's lead, taking on the bowling, and slammed five boundaries in his 26 by tea.

 

The sixth wicket stand flourished with both the batsmen not releasing the foot from the pedal. Both attacked relentlessly and the Bangladeshi fielders wilted under pressure. The nature of how much damage that was caused by Dilshan's counterattack could be gauged from the fact that his strike rate went below the 100 mark only when he entered his nineties, but still the strike rate was in the nineties. He completed his sixth ton of 93 balls and then taking some rest, began to attack again. Bangladeshi fielders did not know what hit them and Ashraful had to go on the defensive. With Ashraful losing control over the situation, he immediately accepted the new ball when it was due with the hope that his pacers will come to his rescue.

 

Mortaza, looked like he has lost his steam and Hossain once again was obsessed with bowling the short stuff. After four fruitless overs with the new ball, Ashraful turned once again to Shakib and Enamul Haque jnr for a breakthrough and he was immediately rewarded with the wicket of Dilshan. Enamul Haque jnr bowled Shakib around his legs in the 85th over thus ending his scintillating knock. Kapugedera and Vaas took the team to the close of play.