Sri Lanka were cruising along on the first session of day two of the Chattogram Test with overnight batters Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews consolidating at ease. However, 22-year-old Nayeem Hasan had other ideas.
The rookie off-spinner repeated the act of picking the first two wickets of the day but this time Bangladesh were more desperate.
The Lankans resumed day’s play at 258. And the visitors were eyeing 400-plus score as the flat wicket at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium was living up to its reputation.
In-form Mathews picked up from where he had left off yesterday and wasted no time to dispatch a Khaled Ahmed delivery for a boundary. Soon, Chandimal reached his fifty and Bangladesh’s misery with reviews continued as the Tigers this time, did not bother to appeal after Khaled extracted an edge off Mathews.
Then at the stroke of lunch, Nayeem arrived to give the vital breakthrough. First, the 136-run stand was broken with Chandimal, on 66, trapped in front. Nayeem followed the dismissal with another in the same over as he bowled out Niroshan Dickwella (3) to pick his four-fer.
The visitors ended the session at 327 for six with Mathews still unbeaten on 147.
