Sri Lanka's Kasun Rajitha celebrates after taking the wicket of Bangladesh's Mehidy Hasan Miraz during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at the Sylhet International cricket Stadium in Sylhet on March 25, 2024. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN / AFP)
Sylhet, Bangladesh: Mominul Haque batted resiliently to delay Sri Lanka’s victory charge as Bangladesh reached 129-7 at lunch on Day 4 of the series-opening cricket test, chasing an improbable 511-run target on Monday.
Mominul was unbeaten on 46 from 112 deliveries at the interval, with Shoriful Islam on 3.
Sri Lanka made early inroads in the morning session when pace bowler Kasun Rajitha trapped Taijul Islam lbw for six in the second over after Bangladesh had resumed at 47-5.
Mominul and Mehidy Hasan combined for a 66-run seventh-wicket stand but Rajitha (3-48) struck again to break up the partnership. Mehidy scored 33 from 50 deliveries before he played an expansive drive and got a thick outside edge.
Vishwa Fernando couldn’t add to his three-wicket haul from Day 3 and had figures of 3-26 from 13 overs.
After recovering from an early batting collapse at the start of the match, Sri Lanka posted 280 in the first innings with captain Dhananjaya de Silva Kamindu Mendis both hitting centuries.
After dismissing Bangladesh for 188, de Silva and Kamindu again hit centuries as Sri Lanka reached 418 in its second innings, to set a 511-run target for Bangladesh.
