(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Bangladesh Hold Advantage Over Sri Lanka Heading Into Final Day of Galle Test
GALLE: Bangladesh took a firm grip on the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Day 4, building a lead of 187 runs with seven wickets still in hand.
At stumps on Friday, the visitors reached 177-3, thanks to a solid 68-run partnership between Shadman Islam and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. Shadman impressed with a composed 76 before being dismissed by Milan Rathnayake, while Mushfiqur Rahim joined his skipper to add an unbeaten 49-run stand for the fourth wicket. Najmul remains unbeaten on 56, with Mushfiqur on 22.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh off-spinner Nayeem Hasan starred with the ball, claiming 5 wickets to restrict Sri Lanka to 485 in their first innings, giving Bangladesh a narrow 10-run lead. He was well-supported by pacer Hasan Mahmud, who took 3-74.
Sri Lanka had appeared on course for a first-innings lead after reaching 465-6, with Kamindu Mendis and Milan Rathnayake contributing a resilient 84-run partnership. However, a dramatic lower-order collapse saw them lose their final four wickets for just 15 runs.
Kamindu top-scored with a composed 87, featuring eight boundaries and a six, but fell just short of a third career century against Bangladesh. Rathnayake chipped in with 39 before being bowled by Mahmud. The rest of the tail offered little resistance as Nayeem ran through the lower order.
Speaking after the day’s play, Kamindu noted the match was still evenly poised.
“I think the game is open for both sides. If we get a few quick wickets early, we’ll be in a good position,” he said.
Nayeem, who played a key role in halting Sri Lanka’s momentum, expressed satisfaction with his performance.
“I really enjoyed that ball that got Kamindu. Happy with how it came out,” he remarked.
Match Summary
Bangladesh First Innings: 495
Sri Lanka First Innings: 485 (P. Nissanka 187, K. Mendis 87; Nayeem Hasan 5-121, Hasan Mahmud 3-74)
Bangladesh Second Innings: 177-3 (Shadman Islam 76, Najmul Hossain 56*, Mushfiqur Rahim 22*; M. Rathnayake 1-13)
Lead: Bangladesh by 187 runs
Day 5 Outlook: Bangladesh will look to build a challenging lead, while Sri Lanka aim for early breakthroughs to set up a competitive chase.
