Sangakkara triple ton puts Sri Lanka in command

Kumar Sangakkara celebrates reaching his triple century.

(Reuters) – Kumar Sangakkara struck his maiden triple hundred and became the ninth batsman to score 11,000 test runs as a dominant Sri Lanka seized full control of the second and final test against Bangladesh yesterday.

The stylish left-hander (319) was the last Sri Lankan batsman to fall after a marathon 482-ball knock that included 32 boundaries and eight sixes as the tourists amassed 587 before being all out when second day’s tea was called.

In reply, Bangladesh reached 86 for one wicket at stumps after losing opener Tamim Iqbal for a duck in the first over of their innings at Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Shamsur Rahman (45) and Imrul Kayes (36) both survived a dropped chance each to remain unbeaten at close with the hosts still trailing Sri Lanka by 501 runs.

Batting on 286 with number 11 batsman Nuwan Pradeep, Sangakkara hit left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan for a four and two sixes off successive deliveries to go past his previous best score of 287 and reach his maiden triple hundred in spectacular fashion.

Sangakkara, 36, was fastest to the 11000 test-run club, having bettered West Indies batting great Brian Lara’s record by five innings.

 

Kumar Sangakkara celebrates reaching his triple century.
Kumar Sangakkara celebrates reaching his triple century.

Kithuruwan Vithanage (35) and Ajantha Mendis (47) provided able support to Sangakkara and added 90 and 100 for the sixth and eighth wickets respectively.

All-rounder Shakib completed his 11th five-wicket haul but Bangladesh would require something of a miracle to win the test and square the two-match series after losing the first match in Dhaka by an innings and 248 runs.

 

SCOREBOARD

 

Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat

Sri Lanka first innings (overnight 314-5)

D. Karunaratne c Mahmudullah b Al-Amin                  31

K. Silva lbw b Gazi                                                                   11

K. Sangakkara c Gazi b Nasir                                           319

M. Jayawardene lbw b Mahmudullah                            72

D. Chandimal c Kayes b Shakib                                       27

A. Mathews b Shakib                                                             5

K. Vithanage lbw b Nasir                                                  35

D. Perera lbw b Shakib                                                        1

A. Mendis lbw b Shakib                                                   47

S. Lakmal lbw b Shakib                                                      0

N. Pradeep not out                                                              4

Extras (b-21, lb-6, w-2, nb-1, pen-5)                         35

Total (all out; 156.4 overs)                                         587

Fall of wickets: 1-39 2-49 3-227 4-294 5-312 6-402 7-405 8-505 9-533

Bowling: Al-Amin 25-5-81-1 (nb-1), Gazi 48-4-181-1, Razzak 4-1-6-0, Shakib 34-3-148-5 (w-1), Mahmudullah 34-2-110-1 (w-1), Nasir 6.4-0-16-2, Shamsur 1-0-5-0, Mominul 4-0-8-0.

 

Bangladesh first innings

Tamim Iqbal b Lakmal                                                         0

Shamsur Rahman not out                                                 45

Imrul Kayes not out                                                             36

Extras (nb-5)                                                                             5

Total (one wicket; 25 overs)                                        86

Still to bat: Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nasir Hossain, Mahmudullah, Sohag Gazi, Al-Amin Hossain, Abdur Razzak

Fall of wicket: 1-0

Bowling (to date): Lakmal 5-0-18-1, Pradeep 7-2-29-0 (nb-3), Mendis 4-1-13-0 (nb-2), Perera 7-2-22-0, Mathews 2-0-4-0

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Sri Lanka lead two-test series 1-0