Record-breaking wicketless session for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has completed a record-breaking wicketless session against Bangladesh in the second session of second Test at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy. Captain Dimuth Karunaratne picked-up his record 12th century of his Test career and second consecutive 100 in this series. His twelve hundred in Test is the most among Sri Lanka’s active Test batters. Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal have 11 apiece.

On the other hand, another opener Lahiru Thirimanne hit his fifth half-century in his last six innings.

Bangladesh bowlers were looking toothless as the openers put on an another 100-run opening partnership for Sri Lanka in Test cricket and not far away from another 200-run stand. No Sri Lanka batting pair has ever achieved that in their history of Test cricket.

Home captain Dimuth Karunaratne made a decision to bat first on a wicket that has shades of greenery again like the first Test. But this time, Sri Lanka opted for two frontline seamers and two spinners while Bangladesh again brought in three frontline seamers.

Both teams have a handed a Test cap to an uncapped player for the match. Pacer Shoriful Islam replaced another pacer Ebadot Hossain for Bangladesh while Sri Lanka have added 22-year old spinner Praveen Jayawickrama in replace of another spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.

Opener Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne started the proceedings very steadily as Bangladesh showed some excellent bowling in that first hour of the second and last Test of the series.The visitors created some real chances as they found Lankan openers’ edge multiple times. However, the best clear chance came in the 20^th over of the innings.

Najmul Hossain Shanto missed an easy opportunity at slip in Taskin Ahmed’s last bowl of 20^th over and gave the Sri Lankan captain a huge life at 28 runs. He ended the session scoring 32 runs off 85 balls. Other opner Thirimanne was unbeaten at 32 runs too.

Karunaratne reached a milestone during his innings as when he was only 8 runs away from his 5000th Test run. He’s the 10th Sri Lanka batter to achieve that record and just the second active batter with that many (the other is Angelo Mathews).

Sri Lanka go into lunch on 66 for 0 in 27 overs.

Earlier, Bangladesh’s misfielding cost them much behind these runs. Najmul Hossain Shanto missed an easy opportunity at slip in Taskin Ahmed’s last bowl of 20th over in first session of the Test and gave the Sri Lankan captain a huge life at 28 runs.