Pathum Nissanka continued his dream run with the bat, scoring a second successive century, while Dinesh Chandimal narrowly missed a richly deserved ton as Sri Lanka ended Day Two of the second Test firmly in the driver’s seat against Bangladesh in Colombo.
At stumps, the hosts had marched to 290 for 2, already holding a 43-run lead, with Nissanka unbeaten on 146* and nightwatchman Prabath Jayasuriya keeping him company. The pair had just seen off a tricky final phase, after Nissanka and Chandimal's towering 194-run second-wicket stand laid the foundation for Sri Lanka’s dominance.
Pathum is batting really well. He missed a double hundred in the first match, getting out for 187. I hope he gets that double in this match. If he does that, it will put us in a very good position,” said Kusal Mendis, reflecting the team’s confidence in Nissanka’s form and focus.
Having come into the match on the back of his 187 at Galle, Nissanka wasted no time settling in. He punched his first ball through cover for four and rarely looked troubled, even when peppered with short balls during a hostile spell. Calm under pressure, he weathered blows to the helmet and responded with elegant boundaries — 18 in total — to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Chandimal, fluent and composed at the other end, matched Nissanka stroke for stroke. Their partnership drained Bangladesh of any momentum after the early wicket of debutant Lahiru Udara (40), who had put on a solid 88 with Nissanka for the opening stand. Chandimal, on course for what would have been his 17th Test century, fell for 93, trying an uncharacteristic reverse sweep against Nayeem Hasan late in the day.
We are hoping to bat as much as possible tomorrow and the day after. If the runs come quickly and we are ahead by 200 or 250, we may consider declaring earlier,” said Mendis, signalling Sri Lanka’s intent to push hard for a result.
Earlier in the morning, Sri Lanka polished off Bangladesh’s first innings in under an hour. The visitors, resuming on 219/8, managed only 28 more runs. Taijul Islam resisted with a fighting 33, but the hosts’ disciplined short-ball tactics, spearheaded by Sonal Dinusha (3/22) and Asitha Fernando (3/51), wrapped things up swiftly.
In contrast to Bangladesh’s struggles, Sri Lanka looked far more assured on the same surface. Bangladesh’s bowlers, particularly seamers Ebadot Hossain and Nahid Rana, failed to build pressure and leaked runs regularly. Nayeem Hasan, despite breaking the key stand, was inconsistent in line and length, unable to capitalise on any footmarks or rough patches.
As stumps approached, the only late drama came when Jayasuriya survived an LBW appeal on review, much to the relief of the home camp. With Nissanka firmly set and Sri Lanka's lead already growing, Bangladesh will need something extraordinary on Day Three to claw their way back into the match.
Brief Scores: Bangladesh 247 all out in 79.3 overs (Shadman Islam 46, Litton Das 34; Sonal Dinusha 3-22, Asitha Fernando 3-519; Sri Lanka 290/2 in 78 overs (Pathum Nissanka 146*, Dinesh Chandimal 93; Ebadot Hossain 1-33, Nayeem Hasan 1-45). Sri Lanka lead by 43 runs.
