Rex Clementine at Pallekele

By the looks of it, the wicket for the first Test at Pallekele seemed like Newlands in South Africa, but in reality, it was similar to Karachi in Pakistan. Mahela Jayawardene once termed that pitch at National Stadium in Pakistan’s commercial capital one which makes bowlers  ‘endangered species’ and the Pallekele wicket deserves the exact same description. The pitch could be in trouble too with the ICC nowadays giving ratings and the observations of Ranjan Madugalle, the Match Referee will be interesting after  just 17 wickets fell in the match.

Sri Lanka were excited for a brief while when they managed a lead of 107 runs after declaring on 648 for eight at lunch and then Suranga Lakmal produced two quick wickets. Dhananjaya de Silva looked to have secured his team a third when Tamim Iqbal, who posted 90 runs in the first innings, drove one straight to the boot of Oshada Fernando and the ball popped up to Niroshan Dickwella.

Umpire Kumar Dharmasena’s soft signal was out but television replays showed that the ball had bounced before hitting the silly point fielder’s boot.

Tamim was on 29 then and hit some  classy shots to take the game away from the Sri Lankans. He hit back to back boundaries to bring up his half-century in 56 balls. Interestingly, Bangladesh’s  total at that point was 52.

Mominul Haque and Tamim added 73 runs for the third wicket to help Bangladesh reach 100 for two at tea. There was no play possible after the break due to rain.

Dimuth Karunaratne was named Man of the Match after posting his maiden double hundred. The captain finished on 244, the tenth highest individual score by a Sri Lankan in Test cricket.

The 345 run partnership between him and Dhananjaya de Silva is a record for any wicket in Tests between these countries. It is also the highest partnership at Pallekele for any wicket.

In a bid to score some quick runs Sri Lanka lost five wickets in the morning session after a wicket less day four where Dhananjaya de Silva and Karunaratne batted through.

The two batsmen were dismissed  in quick succession with Taskin Ahmed accounting for both. Dhananjaya dragged one onto the stumps while a tired Karunaratne pulled one straight to mid-wicket. His marathon lasted for 688 minutes.

It was an entreating stand coming at a crucial stage of the game with Sri Lanka on 190 for three, still 351 runs behind Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka have brought in left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan and seamer Chamika Karunaratne into  the squad as replacements for the  injured Lahiru Kumara and Dilshan Madushanka.

The second Test gets underway on Thursday at Pallekele. Don’t believe all the talk on a green top; our soil seems to be not suited to produce a WACA, Newlands or a Basin Reserve. P. Sara Oval remains the quickest wicket in the country.