SYLHET: Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis both hit knocks of 102 to help Sri Lanka fight back against Bangladesh and finish their innings on 280, after having faced early troubles on Friday’s opening day of the first Test.
The pair made a 202-run stand for the sixth wicket, helping Sri Lanka recover from a precarious 57-5, after Bangladesh’s pacers had made inroads.
Pacers Khaled Ahmed and Nahid Rana took three wickets apiece for the hosts, who opted to bowl first on a green surface.
De Silva and Kamindu asserted their dominance after lunch to help Sri Lanka rebuild a respectable innings.
Kamindu reached his maiden Test century off 126 balls with a four through the covers off Rana but fell on the next ball, edging a catch to Liton Das off Rana.
Skipper de Silva was soon to follow after trying and failing to hook Rana off a short ball, following a charging innings featuring 12 fours and a six.
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Khaled gave Sri Lanka an early fright after seeing off the top order, forcing opener Nishan Madushka (2) to offer a catch to Mehidy Hasan at third slip at the end of the second over.
Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis made 37 runs for the second wicket before Khaled struck again when Mendis knocked the pacer’s delivery to Zakir Hasan at gully.
Mendis departed on 16, and Khaled bowled Karunaratne with an in-swinger in the same over for 17.
Najmul ran out Angelo Mathews for just five with a direct-hit to compound Sri Lanka’s early woes.
Shoriful Islam joined the party when he removed Dinesh Chandimal for nine, with Mehidy grabbing his second catch of the morning down low at leg slip.
Sri Lanka have never lost a Test series to Bangladesh.
The second and final match of the series will be played in Chittagong from March 30.
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