Muttiah Muralitharan took three wickets to strengthen Sri Lanka's chances of winning the opening Test against Bangladesh here on Tuesday despite a fighting 70 not out by skipper Mohammad Ashraful. Bangladesh, shot out for 178 in the first innings, put in a better performance in the second innings when they reached 254-5 at stumps on the penultimate day, chasing an unlikely 521-run target.
The highest fourth-innings total to win a Test is 418-7, by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003. Ashraful offered stiff resistance to the Sri Lankan attack, hitting 11 fours in his eighth Test half-century - his first since July 2007. He also completed 2,000 Test runs during his 153-ball knock.
Off-spinner Muralitharan (3-85), who bagged six wickets in the first innings, again did the maximum damage as he did not allow Bangladesh's middle-order batsmen to settle with his clever variations. Ashraful and Shakib Al Hasan (34 not out) then denied Sri Lanka further success with a 74-run stand for the unbroken sixth wicket.
The Bangladeshi captain reached his half-century in the last session when he drove Muralitharan through the covers for a four. Sri Lanka, resuming at 291-4, added 114 in the morning session before declaring their second innings closed at 405-6. Jayawardene top-scored with a superb 166, his 24th Test century. The second and final Test starts in Chittagong on January 3.
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 293 (T. Samarweera 90, Shakib Al Hasan 5-70)
Bangladesh 1st innings: 178 (I. Kayes 33, M. Muralitharan 6-49)
===========================================
Sri Lanka 2nd innings:
===========================================
M. Vandort b Mortaza 6
M. Warnapura lbw b Alam 8
K. Sangakkara c Rahim b M. Hossain 67
M. Jayawardene c Siddique b M. Hossain 166
T. Samaraweera b Mortaza 62
T. Dilshan c Rahim b Shakib Al Hasan 47
P. Jayawardene not out 3
C. Vaas not out 15
-------------------------------------------
Extras: (b16, lb5, nb8, w2) 31
Total: (for six wickets decl) 405
===========================================
Fall of wickets: 1-16 (Warnapura), 2-18 (Vandort), 3-153 (Sangakkara), 4-291 (Samaraweera), 5-386 (Dilshan), 6-388 (M. Jayawardene)
Bowling: Mortaza 21-4-59-2 (w2, nb2), Alam 17-1-62-1 (nb2), Shakib Al Hasan 40-10-134-1, S. Hossain 14-1-66-0 (nb4), M. Hossain 10-0-37-2, R. Hasan 1-0-2-0, Ashraful 5-0-24-0.
Overs: 108
===========================================
Bangladesh 2nd innings:
===========================================
Tamim Iqbal c Jayawardene b Prasad 47
Imrul Kayes run out 13
Junaid c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 37
Raqibul Hasan b Muralitharan 24
Mohammad Ashraful not out 70
Hossain c sub (Kapugedera) b Murali 23
Shakib Al Hasan not out 34
-------------------------------------------
Extras: (lb2, nb4) 6
Total: (for five wickets) 254
===========================================