Sri Lanka grow lead with Tharanga’s solidity

Sri Lanka fortified their imposing position on the fourth morning, adding 87 to a lead of 182, but perhaps they did not advance as quickly as they might have liked - tight Bangladesh bowling and a slowing surface keeping them in check.

Muztafizur Rahman was especially effective in drying up runs. He bowled four maidens in succession, and conceded only a single from his five-over spell.

Neither of Sri Lanka`s openers are sure of their places for the next series, and it is possible their failures in the first innings spurred them to reticence in this one. Upul Tharanga was the most impressive of the pair, moving chancelessly to 40 off 94 by lunch.

Dimuth Karunaratne, meanwhile, had been dropped on seven, and then went on to carelessly swat a Taskin Ahmed ball off his thigh to be caught at deep square leg for 32. The pair had put on 69 together.

It was off Mehedi Hasan`s bowling that Karunaratne was reprieved. Having delivered two miserly overs to begin with, he tempted the batsman into a lofted drive in his third over, but had beaten him in the air, and had him mis-hitting the ball to Shakib Al Hasan at short cover, at a catchable height.

Shakib though, was late to respond, and managed only to parry the ball away. The chance may have scared Karunaratne into conservatism, however - his next 41 balls at the crease yielded only 11 runs.

Tharanga himself was far from fluent. He stroked Mehedi over the deep cover fence in the eighth over, but was otherwise content to quietly see out the initial overs, and was especially watchful against Mustafizur, whose cutters and slower balls were uniformly respected.

Both Batsmen were happier to play their shots to Subashis Roy and Shakib - Karunaratne even venturing several reverse laps against the turn off Shakib once the initial jitters had faded.

The score had begun to move a little quicker just after drinks, but with Karunaratne`s dismissal, Sri Lanka batted with renewed conservatism. The last eight overs before lunch brought only nine runs. Kusal Mendis was eight not out off 32 balls.

Source: ESPNcricinfo