Spin took Sri Lanka to victory

Left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama was the chief destroyer as he claimed three of the remaining wickets and finished with 5- 86 in the second innings while Praveen Mendis took 4-103.

The win was sealed when Jayawickrama trapped in front Abu Jayed to pick up his 11th wicket in the game. The left-arm spinner once again followed up a sharp turning ball with the one that went on with the arm as it hit Jayed on his pads. Bangladesh players reviewed -- as they had to -- but that did not stop the inevitable from happening.  Earlier, Bangladesh resumed the day struggling on 177 for five but the visitors failed to even make it to Lunch as they fell prey to the spin web of Jayawickrama, Ramesh Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva. Jayawickrama started with the wicket of Liton Das (17 off 46) early in the morning before Taijul Islam and Taskin Ahmed delayed the inevitable defeat for Tigers by negotiating 30 and 33 balls respectively in the middle. However, their luck eventually ran out with Taijul falling prey to Dhananjaya and Taskin getting caught off a Mendis delivery. 

Jayawickrama, who yesterday scalped two wickets, completed his fifer in the second innings as he wrapped it with the wickets of overnight batsman Mehedi Hasan Miraz (39 off 86) and Jayed (0 off 3) in the final of the game today. The 22-year-old Jayawickrama, who had picked six wickets in the first innings, ended with match figures of 11 for 178.  For Bangladesh, Mushfiqur Rahim top-scored for the side with 40 off 63 in the second innings as Tigers lost wickets at regular intervals trying to score quick runs against Sri Lankan spinners who were getting enough turn and bounce off the pitch at Pallekele.       Bangladesh got bundled out for only 251 in their reply, handing the hosts a 242-run lead. Sri Lanka made 194-9d in their second innings to put a mammoth 436-run target in front of Bangladesh, which the tourists fell well short of. Previously, the first Test ended in a draw, which took place at the same venue on April 21-25. Bangladesh failed miserably to put up a decent showing during their 209-run thumping at the hands of Sri Lanka in the second and final Test at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on Monday. 

Debutant Jayawickrama bagged 11 wickets