1st Test Day-1 Highlights:
Both Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis centuries has helped Sri Lanka team to reach to the score of 280 runs
Sri Lanka scored 280 All Out (1st Innings) and Bangladesh were 32/3 at the stumps of Day-1
On an uncommonly seam-dominated day in Sylhet, centuries from captain Dhananjaya de Silva (102) and Kamindu Mendis (102) propelled the visitors to a commanding position on the opening day, which witnessed 14 wickets tumble.
Placed into bat on a grassy surface amid overcast conditions, Sri Lanka found themselves struggling at 57/5 in the initial session as Khaled Mahmud (3-72) rattled through the top order.
With the ball moving unpredictably on a challenging pitch, Sri Lanka faced a daunting task.
However, de Silva and Kamindu joined forces to forge a counter-attacking partnership of 202 runs, achieved in just 241 deliveries.
Both batsmen displayed proactive intent, guiding Sri Lanka through a flawless post-lunch session where they didn’t lose a single wicket while adding 125 runs at a brisk scoring rate of well over 4 runs-per-over.
Following the tea break, both batsmen reached their respective centuries but fell in successive overs to debutant Nahid Rana (3-87).
Although Bangladesh’s bowlers prevented the tail from wagging, the efforts of de Silva and Kamindu propelled Sri Lanka to a competitive first-innings total of 280.
In response, Bangladesh struggled in the ten overs they had to navigate until stumps.
Vishwa Fernando dismissed opener Zakir Hasan and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, while Kasun Rajitha removed Mominul Haque, leaving the hosts in a precarious position.
Although batting conditions improved with the aging ball, seamers continued to find assistance throughout.
Additionally, there was a hint of turn on offer.
Given the typical nature of pitches in Bangladesh, the track at Sylhet is expected to become increasingly challenging for batting as the days progress.
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