Familiar patterns as Tigers unravel
Bangladesh's inability to play consistent cricket was exposed yet again, with the visitors on the verge of a Test defeat after brilliant execution from the Sri Lankan spinners on a Pallekele pitch that offered plenty of purchase.
The Tigers were struggling on 177 for five in chase of a mammoth 437 after bad light forced an early end to the fourth day's play. The hosts will be hoping to get the remaining wickets on the final day to win the Test and clinch the two-match Test series 1-0.
Off-spinner Ramesh Mendis bagged three wickets while left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama picked up two to take his match tally to eight as the Bangladeshi batters struggled to spend time at the crease in their second innings.
According to Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo, fatigue has set in after the Tigers spent 179 and 159.2 overs on the field in the two Tests against Sri Lanka. He believed it had taken the players close to their physical and mental breaking point.
That fatigue may have forced the Bangladeshi batters to opt for an attacking strategy even when the need of the hour was some sort of resistance designed to save the match. In fact, the top five Bangladesh batsmen who were dismissed yesterday managed to get starts but none of them were able to display enough patience on the crease.
The strategy to attack Lankan spinners backfired in the second innings, with in-form Tamim Iqbal once again starting off brilliantly. But this time he had to return to the dressing room before reaching a fifty for the first time in the series.
The left-hander was dismissed by a brilliant Mendis delivery and was caught behind after scoring 24 off 26 balls. His partner Saif Hassan was guilty of playing too many shots and eventually paid the price when he gave a simple catch to cover while trying to play an inside-out shot to Jayawickrama on 34.
Najmul Hossain, who scored consecutive ducks after scoring his maiden ton in the first Test, was the third Bangladeshi wicket to fall before tea. The left-hander also got a start and reached 26 before Jayawickrama's delivery went through his defensive gate and struck timber.
With one session to go before stumps, Bangladesh were on 104 for 3 with an initial plan of playing out the day. However, the visiting batsmen had other ideas. Both experienced campaigners Muhsfiqur Rahim and skipper Mominul Haque continued to play with an attacking mindset after tea, but that did not work well for the visitors.
Mominul, on 32, was played on while trying to guide Mendis through the slip cordon just five overs before the final session of the day. Mushfiqur was also riding his luck and was lucky twice before he too perished, being caught at short leg for 40 off the bowling of Mendis as Bangladesh started to anticipate a defeat.
"It is natural that the spinners will get the assistance from the pitch on the fourth and fifth day of a Test match. We all started well but were unable to convert those starts into a big one. Maybe if we didn't lose more than three wickets today (yesterday) it would have been a good day for us," Najmul told media. "On such wickets, it is very difficult for batters if they remain negative. It's not that being positive means we have to hit every ball, but everyone tried to play with intent."
Earlier, Sri Lanka declared their second innings on 194 for nine shortly after lunch yesterday, with skipper Dimuth Karunaratne top-scoring with 66. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam bagged his second five wicket haul away from home after the Lankan batters tried to score some quick runs in the end.
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