DHAKA (Reuters) – Sri Lanka completed a 2-0 series sweep against Bangladesh on Wednesday after winning the second test in Chattogram by 192 runs despite Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s gallant resistance.
Chasing 511 runs for an improbable victory, Bangladesh were all out for 318 with Mominul Haq (50) and Miraz, who scored 81 not out, scoring half-centuries before the hosts wilted on the final day’s morning session.
Sri Lanka, who won the opening test in Sylhet by 328 runs, were in the box seat after racking up 531 in their first innings when six of their top seven batters struck half-centuries.
Bangladesh managed 178 in reply and Sri Lanka declared their second innings at 157-7, setting the hosts a daunting victory target.
“The batters were a bit disappointed about not getting runs in the first test, but I was confident they would get runs here,” Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva said.
“There wasn’t a lot of spin on offer, so I thought about reverse swing as a way to get wickets. The pacers were really on the spot.”
Home captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said Bangladesh batters failed to convert their starts into big knocks.
“If you look at our batting, everyone got set but didn’t get a big score,” he said.
“That’s something to think about. If you get set you have to make a score. We have to play more first-class cricket.”
Sri Lanka all-rounder Kamindu Mendis was named player of the series for his tally of 367 runs from four innings.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Peter Rutherford)
Source Agencies
