Sri Lanka reduces Bangladesh to 32-3 to end day one on top in first cricket test

Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis hit centuries as Sri Lanka recovered from early trouble to end day one on top in the opening cricket test

Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis hit centuries as Sri Lanka recovered from early trouble to end day one on top in the opening cricket test on March 22.

Both de Silva and Kamindu scored 102 to steer Sri Lanka to 280 all out after being reduced to 57-5. The pacers then helped the side consolidate its position by reducing Bangladesh to 32-3 at stumps.

Fast bowlers Khaled Ahmed and Nahid Rana, who made his debut, claimed three wickets each for Bangladesh on a 13-wicket day.

Khaled (3-72) ripped through the top order before Rana, whose 3-87 included the wickets of both de Silva and Kamindu, caused a middle order havoc.

Khaled struck in the second over after Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and put Sri Lanka in to bat. He had Nishan Madushka caught by Mehidy Hasan at third slip with a fuller, swinging delivery.

Kusal Mendis and Dimuth Karunaratne appeared to steady the innings, with Mendis reaching 4,000 career test runs when he hit pace bowler Shoriful Islam for a boundary through fine-leg. But Khaled undid him soon after with extra bounce, with Mendis (16) pulling directly to gully where Zakir Hasan completed an easy catch.

Four balls later, Khaled bowled Karunarate for 17 with raw pace to leave Sri Lanka at 41-3 in 12th over.