Can Sri Lanka Maintain Control After Late Strikes by Vishwa and Asitha?

Colombo, June 25 (NationPress) The bowlers from Sri Lanka ensured that the home team maintained a commanding position on Day 1 of the second Test against Bangladesh at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo, despite a multitude of missed opportunities in the field.

After winning the toss and opting to bat first on what was anticipated to be a batter-friendly pitch, Bangladesh found themselves struggling at 220 for 8 by the end of the day, their innings hampered by disciplined bowling and some poor shot selections.

The day's play, impacted by rain especially during the second session, witnessed Sri Lanka drop five catches and miss a run-out chance, yet their grip on the game remained unyielding. Wickets were evenly distributed among five of the six bowlers employed, with Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, and debutant Sonal Dinusha each claiming two wickets, while Dhananjaya de Silva and Tharindu Rathnayake contributed one apiece.

The standout performer of the day was Dinusha, the 24-year-old left-arm spinner, who had a sensational debut. He took crucial wickets of Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das in a disciplined opening spell, marking the beginning of his Test career with three maiden overs and a wicket—becoming the fourth bowler to achieve this feat since ball-by-ball data was recorded.

Earlier, Bangladesh struggled to form partnerships, despite several players getting starts. Six batters managed to cross the 20-run mark, but none could convert it into a significant score. Their best collaboration came from Mushfiqur and Litton, who added 67 runs quickly in the second session. However, both fell playing reckless shots—Mushfiqur mistimed a shot to deep midwicket off Dinusha, while Litton edged a cut shot close to his body.

Fielding lapses were a recurring theme for Sri Lanka. Prabath Jayasuriya dropped Litton at deep midwicket, and Lahiru Udara missed a chance with Mushfiqur. Kusal Mendis also failed to execute a stumping opportunity. Nevertheless, Sri Lanka exhibited resilience, as showcased by Asitha Fernando's dismissal of Nayeem Hasan with a stunning delivery that clipped the off-stump.

Bangladesh's struggle to rotate the strike—combined with Sri Lanka's consistent bowling lengths—meant that pressure was continually mounting. Even when the visitors survived long spells without losing wickets, they were unable to take control. Mominul Haque fell cheaply, chipping a harmless delivery to cover, while Shadman Islam, who was the top scorer with 46, edged a wide delivery to slip.

At the end of the day's play, Taijul Islam and Ebadot Hossain were at the crease, seeking to elevate Bangladesh's total beyond 250—a score that remains subpar given the pitch conditions and Sri Lanka's robust batting lineup.

With the SSC surface likely to become more favorable on Day 2, Bangladesh may regret their lack of focus and missed chances to establish a strong first-innings score. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka will be encouraged by a comprehensive bowling performance and the potential shown by their new talents, especially Dinusha, as they aim to seize early control of the series decider.

Brief scores:

Bangladesh 220/8 in 71 overs (Shadman Islam 46, Mushfiqur Rahim 35; Sonal Dinusha 2/22, Vishwa Fernando 2/35) against Sri Lanka