TASKIN AHMED SHINES BUT DICKWELLA’S FIFTY STEER HOST TO 469/6 ON DAY 2 OF 2ND TEST

Taskin Ahmed picked three wickets before Niroshan Dickwella smashed a fifty as Sri Lanka maintained the driver’s seat on day two of the second Test against Bangladesh here on Friday. An unbroken 87-run seventh-wicket stand between wicket-keeper batsman Dickwella and Ramesh Mendis took Sri Lanka to 469/6 at the end of the second day’s play.

Dickwella is unbeaten on 64 with Ramesh giving him company on 22*. Bangladesh bowlers did bring the visitors back in the game picking five wickets on day two but Dickwella and Ramesh ensured Sri Lanka put on a good total before the play was called off on Friday. After the domination of Sri Lanka on the first day, Bangladesh fought back in the match dur to an impressive display by the bowlers on day two in Kandy. Bad light and rain stopped the play a couple of times on Friday. Sri Lanka started the day with an overnight score of 291 for 1. Taskin bowled with heart from the start of the morning and finally, he was rewarded with two big wickets. He got rid of centurion Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews respectively.

Before lunch, Taijul Islam put more pressure on Sri Lanka by dismissing Dhananjaya on 2. A fifth-wicket partnership between Fernando and Pathum Nissanka looked dangerous before Taskin again gave the breakthrough in his return spell with the wicket for Pathum on 30. Mehidy Hasan on the other also joined the party and picked up the important wicket of Dhananjaya who scored 81. Sri Lanka was in some trouble after losing six wickets for 382. From there Dickwella counter-attack the bowlers and scored a quick fifty. He made an unbeaten 87-run partnership with Ramesh before bad light forced the umpires to call off the day.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 469/6 (Lahiru Thirimanne 140*, Dimuth Karunaratne 118; Taskin Ahmed 3-119) vs Bangladesh