Karunaratne, Mendis guide Sri Lanka 214-2 at Tea

Dimuth Karunaratne missed out on his 17th

century but Sri Lanka progressed steadily to take the upper-hand of the
second and final Test against Bangladesh, as they reached 214-2 at tea on Day
1 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram today.

At the second interval of the day, Kusal Mendis was batting on 65 with
experienced Angelo Mathews on 1.

Karunaratne who was dismissed by Hasan Mahmud on the stroke of tea, hammered
86 off 129, smashing eight fours and one six.

After opting to bat first, the visitors made a fluent start with Nishan
Madushka and Karunaratne dealing with the Bangladeshi bowlers with ease to
keep the scoreboard ticking.

Madushka drove pacer Syed Khaled Ahmed for a four past point in the first
over to justify his captain’s decision to bat first.

Karunaratne also began with a boundary when he clipped a full length delivery
of debutant Hasan Mahmud past mid-wicket.

But Bangladesh bowlers created some chances in an otherwise a barren session
but the fielders couldn’t hold on to it.

Madushka was dropped on 9 when Mahmudul Hasan Joy put down a straightforward
chance off fast bowler Mahmud at second slip.

His opening partner Dimuth Karunaratne was also lucky to have survived as he
top-edged a Mahmud delivery but Shakib Al Hasan fumbled it over the boundary
line to give Karunaratne a six.

Madushka reached his second 50 off 80 balls, when he punched offspinner
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to mid-off for a single.

Just after his half-century, he was trapped run out, giving Bangladesh a
breakthrough after sharing 96-run with Karunaratne for the opening stand.
Madushka finally scored 57 off 105 balls, hitting six fours.

Karunaratne raised his 37th Test half-century off 93 balls, hitting pacer
Khaled a boundary past mid-off.

Hasan Mahmud who bowled some probing spell on debut, finally got the better
of Karunaratne for his maiden Test wicket when the batter dragged a length
delivery back on to his stump.

The dismissal ended the threatening 114-run partnership between Karunaratne
but Kusal.

However, Kusal who brought up his 18th Test 50 off 87 balls saw off the
session with Mathews without any fuss. (BSS)