Sri Lanka Secures Victory Through Innings Lead of 78 Runs
The Showdown at Colombo:
Prabath Jayasuriya's five-wicket blitz sent Bangladesh tumbling to a dismal 133 in their second innings, sealng Sri Lanka's victory by an innings and 78 runs, marking a enthralling 1-0 series triumph on home turf.
The second test at Colombo's spin-friendly track saw a dramatic shift, with Bangladesh's batting crumbling after their heroics in the Galle Test. A staggering six wickets fell within 33 runs, as the visitors were left grapping for answers to Sri Lanka's pressure tactics.
"It's a significant victory, losing the toss and still managing to put the opposition under pressure," Sri Lanka's captain, Dhananjaya de Silva, declared at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Pathum Nissanka shone as the standout performer, scoring a monumental 158 runs, ably backed by Dinesh Chandimal (93) and Kusal Mendis (84) as Sri Lanka secured a commanding 211-run lead with a hefty total of 458.
Anamul Haque gave Bangladesh a brisk start in the second innings but fell victim to Asitha Fernando (1-22), while Shadam Islam was caught out shortly after, again to Jayasuriya (5-56).
De Silva (2-13) accounted for Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, who scored twin centuries in the first Test, leaving the tourists reeling at 70-4.
"We were hoping to build on our success from the previous Test, but unfortunately, our performance here didn't meet our expectations," a disappointed Shanto lamented. "We had chances, but we opted for the easy way out and made errors in our batting."
Mushfiqur Rahim (26), one of Bangladesh's standout performers in the first Test, was the next man to depart, bowled by Jayasuriya, marking the start of a dramatic collapse. Bangladesh lost their final five wickets in less than 11 overs as Sri Lanka gleefully wrapped up the series.
Sri Lanka will now meet Bangladesh in a series of three One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 matches, with the opener scheduled for June 30.
Player Results:
- Pathum Nissanka: A stellar performance of 158 runs, laying the foundation for Sri Lanka's win.
- Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis: Solid contributions pushing Sri Lanka's total to a formidable 458 runs.
- Prabath Jayasuriya: MVP of the match, taking five key wickets that dismantled Bangladesh's batting.
- Bangladesh: After a promising first innings of 247 runs, they crumbled in the second innings, conceding defeat due to a weakening batting lineup.
Sri Lanka demonstrated dominance in both batting and bowling to clinch the match, while Bangladesh struggled to replicate their batting prowess from the preceding encounter.
Sports enthusiasts will be intrigued to know that Prabath Jayasuriya's impressive five-wicket haul in the cricket match at Colombo secured a series triumph for Sri Lanka over Bangladesh by an innings and 78 runs. In the same game, Pathum Nissanka's monumental 158 runs stood out as a highlights among Sri Lanka's commanding 211-run lead, while Bangladesh, despite a solid first innings, struggled in the second, falling short due to a weakening batting lineup.
