Stylish centurion Sangakkara sparkles for Sri Lanka with 34th test ton

(Reuters) – Kumar Sangakkara thumped his 34th test century for Sri Lanka before Shakib Al Hasan hit back with two wickets to give Bangladesh something to cheer on the first day of the second test in Chittagong yesterday.

Sangakkara was unbeaten on 160 as Sri Lanka reached the close of play on 314 for five after captain Angelo Mathews had won the toss and opted to bat.

The stylish left-hander added 178 for the third wicket with Mahela Jayawardene (72) after Bangladesh dismissed openers Dimuth Karunaratne (31) and Kaushal Silva (11) cheaply.

The 36-year-old Sangakkara, who went to his half-century with a six off spinner Mahmudullah, brought up his hundred with a boundary to fine leg off the same bowler.

Jayawardene also looked set for his 34th test hundred but was out leg before to Mahmudullah after playing across the line.

Bangladesh, crushed in the first test in Dhaka by an innings and 248 runs, dropped Marshall Ayub, Rubel Hossain and Robiul Islam and brought in batsman Imrul Kayes, all-rounder Mahmudullah and left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak.

Paceman Nuwan Pradeep and spinner Ajantha Mendis replaced the injured Shaminda Eranga and Rangana Herath in the Sri Lankan test.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat

Sri Lanka first innings

D. Karunaratne c Mahmudullah b Al-Amin                           31

K. Silva lbw b Gazi                                                                             11

K. Sangakkara not out                                                                 160

M. Jayawardene lbw b Mahmudullah                                     72

D. Chandimal c Kayes b Shakib                                                 27

A. Mathews b Shakib                                                                       5

K. Vithanage not out                                                                       0

Extras (b-5, lb-2, nb-1)                                                                 8

Total (five wickets; 92 overs)                                       314

Still to bat: N. Pradeep, A. Mendis, S. Lakmal, D. Perera

Fall of wickets: 1-39 2-49 3-227 4-294 5-312

Bowling (to date): Al-Amin 19-4-56-1 (1nb), Gazi 30-4-98-1, Razzak 4-1-6-0, Shakib 15-1-70-2, Mahmudullah 22-2-70-1, Nasir 1-0-2-0, Shamsur 1-0-5-0

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Sri Lanka lead two-test series 1-0