Concussion sub Kasun Rajitha leads Sri Lanka’s fightback

Tamim Iqbal had scored seven half-centuries in Test cricket against Sri Lanka coming into the first Test, without breaching the three-figure mark. The 31-year-old corrected that record as he brought up his 10th Test century on the third day of the first Test, in Chattogram, but it was Sri Lanka who took the honours in the second session after picking up three wickets.

The session could have gone even better for the visitors had Dhananjaya de Silva managed to hold on to a relatively easy opportunity at first slip, when Tamim was on 114. However, with the surface playing a few tricks and the bowlers having found their lines, Sri Lanka will hope to make more inroads. At tea on day three, in Chattogram, Bangladesh had reached 220 for 3, still trailing the visitors by 177 runs. Tamim was unbeaten on 133 and had Mushfiqur Rahim for support on 14*.

Having looked flat in the morning, Sri Lanka started off the second session with better control. Asitha Fernando, who should have had Mahmudul Hasan Joy on 51, finally got his man with a well-directed short-of-a length delivery down leg. Continuing with his ploy of bowling short from around the wicket, Asitha induced a faint tickle off Mahmudul's bat and glove through to the keeper for 58, ending the opening stand on 162.

Tamim though continued on his merry ways, as he coasted through the nineties with a couple of fours before reaching his century by flicking Asitha to deep midwicket.

It was Kasun Rajitha, the concussion substitute for Vishwa Fernando, who gave Sri Lanka the opening with two quick strikes. He accounted for Najmul Hossain Shanto for 1 in his very first over before sending back Mominul Haque for 2. Bowling from around the wicket, he first induced an outside edge off Najmul's bat to the keeper and then crept through the gap between Mominul's bat and pad to clean him up.

Ramesh Mendis also kept at it and also seemed to have had Tamim caught behind on 102 but the decision was overturned on review. When the outside edge did arrive off Tamim's bat a few overs later, de Silva failed to hold to the chance at first slip.

Mushfiqur and Tamim survived 45 minutes or so before tea and will look to wipe off the deficit. Tamim also seemed to be suffering from cramps in his hand with the humidity in Chattogram getting to the players.

Earlier, in a near-perfect morning session Mahmudul and Tamim added 81 runs in 28 overs, as Bangladesh went to lunch unscathed on 157 for 0. The Sri Lanka bowlers lacked the bite with the Bangladesh openers quickly going about their job. Tamim was his aggressive self from the get-go and brought up his 32nd Test half-century by cutting Ramesh wide of point for a four.

It did not take long for Mahmudul and Tamim to bring up a 100-run stand, their first as an opening pair for Bangladesh. Mahmudul also raised his second half-century in just his fifth Test with a flick through midwicket. He had a reprieve on 51 when he top-edged a short-of-a-length delivery from Asitha straight to fine leg, but Lasith Embuldeniya failed to hold on to the catch.

Vishwa, who was struck on the head late on day two by a Shoriful Islam bouncer, had to be withdrawn from the Test after he suffered from dizziness. He was replaced by Rajitha, who made an immediate impact.

Source: ESPNcricinfo