Dilshan takes charge for Sri Lanka

Tillakaratne Dilshan got Sri Lanka back on track with an exceptional innings of 162

A commanding 162-run display by Tillakaratne Dilshan allowed Sri Lanka to recover from a shaky start against Bangladesh and reach a healthy score at stumps on day one of the second Test.

Dilshan enjoyed century stands with Malinda Warnapura and Chamara Kapugedera as the tourists hit back from a precarious 75 for four to post 371 for six at the close in Chittagong.

The right-hander was eventually bowled by Enamul Haque Jr shortly before the end of play, but Kapugedera was unbeaten on 93 and will be looking to add his own century to the scoreboard when the contest resumes tomorrow.

Things had looked very different for Sri Lanka earlier in the day when Bangladesh, who are 1-0 down in the series, had reduced their opponents to 65 for three at lunch.

Mashrafe Mortaza struck with just the fourth ball of the match when the right-arm bowler got a delivery to move back into Prasanna Jayawardene and the opener was trapped lbw without scoring.

It then got better for both Bangladesh and Mortaza as he claimed the crucial scalp of Kumar Sangakkara in the third over when he played onto his own stumps with a thick inside edge to leave Sri Lanka seven for two.

Warnapura and skipper Mahela Jayawardene, playing in his 100th Test match, looked to repair the damage but it was slow going and the latter was dismissed for 11 when he edged slow left-armer Shakib Al Hasan to keeper Mushfiqur Rahim with the score on 39.

Chamara Kapugedera is unbeaten on 93 at close of play, combining in a crucial partnership with Dilshan

Warnapura and Thilan Samaraweera saw Sri Lanka through to the interval, but the latter lasted just 10 balls of the second session before he was bowled by Shahadat Hossain.

The tourists were beginning to look vulnerable but Dilshan’s arrival at the crease quickly changed things.

While Warnapura was pedestrian in reaching his fifty from 133 balls, Dilshan smashed eight fours and a six to bring up his half-century from just 37 deliveries.

Warnapura had hit 63 when he was trapped leg before by Ashraful, but Dilshan continued to punish the Bangladesh bowlers to reach tea just five runs short of the century mark.

Kapugedera had also added a useful 26 by the interval and the duo carried on where they had left off in the final session as Bangladesh felt the full force of their batting.

Dilshan soon got the runs he needed to complete his sixth Test century while Kapugedera reached the 50-mark with a boundary off Hossain in the 71st over.

The century partnership quickly followed and the runs continued to flow as the Bangladesh bowlers saw their deliveries smashed all over the ground.

With the close of play approaching, it was Haque Jr who eventually made the breakthrough with a ball which turned onto Dilshan’s leg stump.

But the damage had already been done as Kapugedera and Chaminda Vaas guided Sri Lanka safely through the last four overs of the day.