Unbeaten tons from Liton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim rescued Bangladesh on day one of the second Test against Sri Lanka
Match Report:
ScorecardBangladesh's new Test record as Lankans waste super start
Liton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim each hit unbeaten centuries as Bangladesh recovered from a horrible start to end day one of the second Test against Sri Lanka at 5-277.
Liton was 135 not out and Mushfiqur, who scored 105 in the first Test, was on 115 after sharing a record 253 runs in an unbroken stand in Mirpur on Monday.
It was Bangladesh's highest sixth-wicket partnership, eclipsing the 191 by Mohammad Ashraful and Mushfiqur Rahim against Sri Lanka in 2007.
A difficult day in the field for the tourists was compounded when Kusal Mendis was taken to a hospital because of chest pains.
Mendis underwent an ECG test at a Dhaka hospital and the results showed no major complications, team officials said.
Image Id: D7E7D1E4CF864AE9832B5423DD4A2353 Image Caption: Kusal Mendis was taken to hospital with chest pains // AFP"Kusal is currently having some checks done on him to make sure he's OK," Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood said. "Hopefully, he will be OK and back with us in the hotel tonight."
The only chance the tourists could create came when Liton on 47 offered a catch at backward square leg, which Mendis' substitute Kamindu Mendia failed to hold on to.
Liton then hit Asitha Fernando for a boundary through the same region to raise his fifty off 96 balls. He then needed just 53 balls to complete his next fifty to reach his third century off 149 balls.
Mushfiqur, who became the first Bangladeshi batter to reach 5000 runs last week, was more restrained.
Image Id: 27EE0B61D65D4AA69FD20B573D3966CA Image Caption: Mushfiqur Rahim celebrated back-to-back centuries // AFPHe brought up his half-century off 112 balls, also through a boundary from left-arm spinner Praveen Jaywawickrama's delivery.
Unlike Liton, his innings was completely chanceless and he raised his ninth ton off 218 balls with a single off Ramesh Mendis.
But it was a terrible start for Bangladesh, who opted to bat first after captain Mominul Haque won the toss.
Paceman Kasun Rajitha took a wicket with the second ball of the match to start a session of dominance for Sri Lanka.
Image Id: 3F2B975AE2A44572B1C09E59CEC4502A Image Caption: Liton Das celebrates his century // AFPRajitha, who played part of the drawn first Test as a concussion substitute, returned figures of 3-43 and Fernando claimed 2-80.
Rajitha and Fernando removed openers Mahmudul Hasan and Tamim Iqbal for ducks as Bangladesh slumped to 2-6 in the second over.
Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque (9) extended his lean streak to six consecutive single-digit scores when he was caught behind off Fernando in the sixth over.
And when Rajitha took wickets with consecutive deliveries in the next over, bowling Najmul Hossain (8) and then trapping Shakib Al Hasan (0) lbw, Bangladesh slumped to 5-24.