AI Simulation, SL vs BAN | Lahiru Udara’s gritty knock denies Bangladesh historic series win

Pitch & Weather

Though bright sunshine greeted the players on Day 1, rains made their way on all days except for the final day. The SSC surface looked classic — flat early, and ideal for batting, but took spin from day three onwards. The intermittent rains meant frequent start stops and delays on all days.

Toss & Conditions

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first.

Lineups

Sri Lanka: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Oshada Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis (wk), Tharindu Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha

Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Shadman Islam, Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wk), Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Ebadot Hossain

Match Report

In a gripping five-day Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, Sri Lanka held their nerve to clinch a four-wicket win over a spirited Bangladesh unit in the second and final Test. Both sides produced moments of brilliance in a tightly contested match that ebbed and flowed both ways across four innings but it was the home side that ended victorious to pocket the series 1-0.

Batting first, Bangladesh capitalized on ideal conditions with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto showcasing immense maturity through a commanding 142, his third century on the trot in this tour. Shanto hit 13 fours and two sixes during his majestic knock while Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das played crucial supporting roles with contrasting half-centuries pushing the visitors to a strong 391. Sri Lanka toiled hard with the ball, with Asitha Fernando impressing with four wickets and Tharindu Rathnayake chipping in with three.

In response, the Sri Lankan innings was anchored by an elegant 113, which included 14 fours and a six, from Pathum Nissanka and strong contributions from Kusal Mendis (74) and Dhananjaya de Silva (50). Bangladesh’s spinners, especially Nayeem Hasan, impressed yet again picking up eight of the ten wickets to eventually get a 37-run lead at the end of the first innings. Nayeem picked up 5/96, his second-consecutive five-fer, while left-arm spinner Taijul Islam finished with three wickets as the hosts were bowled out for 354.

The pitch began showing signs of wear towards the end of day three as Bangladesh looked to extend their advantage. Mushfiqur Rahim’s 92 stood out amidst a steady Sri Lankan bowling performance while skipper Shanto scored a patient half-century as Bangladesh extended their overall lead to 281. Rathnayake and Prabath Jayasuriya found their rhythm, picking up six wickets in tandem, to restrict Bangladesh to 244 — setting Sri Lanka a target of 282.

The hosts' chase wasn’t straightforward as Bangladesh’s bowlers struck early, but Lahiru Udara’s composed 84 anchored the ship after a rocky start. He found much-needed support from Kusal Mendis, who scored an enterprising fifty, while Dhananjaya de Silva came up with a captain’s knock to see the side through. The Sri Lanka skipper remained unbeaten on 52 from 89 balls as the hosts reached the target with four wickets in hand on the final day.

Player of the Match

Lahiru Udara was adjudged the Player of the Match for anchoring the chase in the fourth innings with a composed 84 under pressure.

Scorecard