Sri Lanka tightened their grip on the second Test against Bangladesh at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo, ending Day 3 with a commanding first-innings lead. After bowling out Bangladesh for 247, the hosts responded strongly with the bat, posting a massive 458 before being dismissed.
Pathum Nissanka laid the foundation for Sri Lanka with a brilliant century, while Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews added valuable runs in the middle order. Bangladesh’s bowlers toiled hard, but only Taijul Islam and Shoriful Islam made notable breakthroughs. The Sri Lankan batters capitalized on loose deliveries and showed patience on a flat pitch.
Earlier, Bangladesh struggled to build partnerships in their first innings, with Mushfiqur Rahim being the only notable contributor. The top order once again failed to convert starts into big scores, a recurring issue for the visitors in this series.
With a massive 211-run lead, Sri Lanka are in a dominant position heading into Day 4. Bangladesh now face an uphill task not just to save the match, but to stay competitive. Unless their batting line-up produces something extraordinary in the second innings, the hosts are on course for a series-clinching victory.