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Sri Lanka batted out 32 overs in the final session of Day 5 to ensure the first Test in Galle ended in a draw, against Bangladesh, but it wasn't a result without minor jeopardy, as Sri Lanka lost four wickets on the way before Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis shut up shop for good.
The teams shook hands with five overs left to play in the day, with Dhananjaya de Silva and having played out 53 balls in their partnership. During a run-chase of 296 runs, Dhananjaya and Kamindu had come together after Sri Lanka had lost both Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal in quick succession, both to the excellent Taijul Islam, who ended on figures of 3 for 23. But despite Taijul and Nayeem Hasan's best efforts, it was clear the remaining six wickets would not fall before the 37 overs were up. Bangladesh played out 11 overs in the post-lunch session, added 48 runs and asked Sri Lanka to chase down a target of 296 off 37 overs - at a required rate of eight an over - if they wanted to steal an unlikely win. Those 37 overs might have been more, but the primary goal of Bangladesh continuing to bat after the rain break seemed to be for Najmul Hossain Shanto to get to his second century of the game - it was the third instance of a Bangladeshi batter scoring two centuries in the same Test, and the second time Shanto had accomplished the feat, the 15th batter ever to do the unique double. It took 50 deliveries after the restart for Shanto to get to the milestone, during which Bangladesh had scored just 19 runs and lost the wickets of Litton Das and Jaker Ali - both succumbed to the growing turn on offer, and frustration with defensive lines down leg. In the next 17 balls, though, Bangladesh ransacked 29 - including a trio of sixes from Shanto down the ground off the spinners. Earlier in the match, Bangladesh finished their first innings on 495, Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim both scoring a ton. Asitha Fernando was the pick of the bowlers for SL, grabbing four wickets. Sri Lanka finished their first innings on 485, trailing behind 10 runs in the first innings. SL batter Pathum Nissanka played of the best innings of his life as he made 187 runs in 256 balls, Bangladesh spinner Nayeem Hasan took a fifer to bowl out SL. Shanto was awarded man of the match for his centuries in both innings. Brief score: Sri Lanka 485 and 72/4 ( Pathum Nissanka 24, Dhananjaya de Silva 12; Taijul Islam 3/23). Vs Bangladesh 495 & 285/6d ( Najmul Hossain Shanto 125*, Shadman Islam 76; Tharindu Rathnayake 3/102). (ANI)
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