Bangladesh kept their noses in front with a spirited showing on day four of the first Test in Galle on Friday, finishing strongly at 177 for three in their second innings. With a lead of 187 and plenty of batting left in the shed, the visitors will fancy their chances of setting Sri Lanka a tricky fourth-innings target on a wearing pitch.

A target in the vicinity of 250 could prove a tall order for the hosts, who were rattled by the guile of off-spinner Nayeem Hasan earlier in the day. Bangladesh, chasing only their second-ever win over Sri Lanka in 28 attempts, have history within touching distance.

The cornerstone of their resistance in the second innings was a 68-run stand for the third wicket between opener Shadman Islam and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto. With both batsmen negotiating spin confidently, Sri Lanka were forced to turn back to pace. It was the bustling all-rounder Milan Rathnayake who broke the stand, trapping Shadman plumb in front for a fluent 76 — his sixth Test half-century.

Veteran campaigner Mushfiqur Rahim, fresh off a first-innings century, joined his captain and the duo ensured there were no further hiccups, putting on an unbroken 49-run partnership for the fourth wicket to put their side firmly in the driver’s seat heading into the final day.

Earlier, Bangladesh’s bowlers set the tone with a probing effort that denied Sri Lanka a first-innings lead. Off-spinner Nayeem Hasan was the pick of the bunch, weaving a web around the batters with his bounce and bite to claim a richly deserved five-wicket haul. He got the ball to talk, often making it spit and grip off the surface and the Sri Lankan batters were left groping.

In contrast, Sri Lanka’s spin twins — Prabath Jayasuriya and debutant Tharindu Ratnayake — failed to hit the right notes. Though both bagged a wicket apiece, they lacked venom. Jayasuriya, in particular, looked pedestrian with the Bangladeshi batsmen using their feet to good effect and blunting his left-arm spin with minimal fuss.

Captain Dhananjaya de Silva tried rotating his bowlers, but the bite was missing. On a pitch where Nayeem looked like he was bowling with a wand, Sri Lanka’s spinners seemed to be rolling pies.

Galle is a result-oriented venue — the last draw here came a dozen years ago — and with the pitch showing signs of wear and tear, all three results remain on the table. But make no mistake, it’s Bangladesh who hold all the aces.

Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka resumed on 368 for four and still 127 runs adrift. However, any hopes of taking the lead were dashed as they lost Dhananjaya de Silva (19) and Kusal Mendis (5) in quick succession. The pendulum swung back Sri Lanka’s way thanks to an enterprising 84-run partnership between Kamindu Mendis and Milan Rathnayake. But just when the hosts looked poised to nose ahead, Bangladesh came roaring back.

The game turned on its head after lunch, with the visitors striking thrice in the space of ten deliveries for just one run. The prize scalp was that of Kamindu Mendis, who played a gem of an innings for his 87. He was undone by a peach from Nayeem — one that pitched on a length, spat off the surface, kissed the edge and was safely pouched by the keeper.