Off-spinner Nayeem Hasan鈥檚 five wickets followed by fifties from Shadman Islam and Najmul Hossain Shanto, put Bangladesh in the driving seat at the end of the fourth day鈥檚 play of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium in Galle on Friday.听
Bangladesh were 187 runs ahead with seven wickets remaining, as the two centurions of the first innings, Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim, were batting on 56 and 22, respectively.听
The Tigers are now in a safe position and have the opportunity to push for a victory on a surface that鈥檚 yet to change much.听
The visitors started the day on a high as they took two quick wickets early in the morning as Dhananjaya De Silva and Kushal Mendis both were caught brilliantly down the leg side by Liton Das.
De Silva made 19 while Mendis managed only five before falling to Nayeem and Hasan, respectively, as Sri Lanka slipped to 386-6.
But Bangladesh stumbled to Sri Lanka鈥檚 rearguard as Kamindu Mendis and Milan Rathnayake put on a valuable 86-run partnership for the seventh wicket.听
Hasan made the breakthrough soon after lunch when Rathnayake chopped on a short-length delivery after making 39.听
Nayeem then ripped through the innings by dismissing Mendis鈥攚ho missed out on his sixth hundred in 13 matches for just 13 runs鈥擳harindu Rathnayake, and Asitha Fernando to complete his fourth five-wicket haul.听
Hasan grabbed 3-74, while Taijul Islam and Mominul Haque took one each.听
With 10 runs ahead, Bangladesh began the second innings waywardly as Anamul Haque was visibly struggling.听
Prabath Jayasuriya finally put an end to Anamul鈥檚 20-ball misery, where he managed only four runs, as he was surprised by a ball that had extra bounce.
Shadman, however, remained positive and was looking for opportunities to play shots.听
Mominul, though, threw his wicket away for the second time in the match when he messed up a sweeping attempt off Tharindu Rathnayake to finally be caught at short leg.听
Shanto carried his form from the first innings to stitch a 68-run partnership with Shadman on either side of the tea break.听
Shadman finally fell for 76 when he failed to defend an inswinging delivery from Milan Rathnayake during the 45th over of the innings.听
But Shanto remained calm with the company of Mushfiq, who got through the remaining passage of play without any further damage.听
Shanto, who got his second fifty in the match off 106 balls, recorded two half-centuries in the same match for the second time in his 36-match career.听
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