2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh at Colombo, 06-10 Sep 2001 CricInfo Live Report

2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh at Colombo, 06-10 Sep 2001
Rex Clementine

Sri Lanka 1st innings: Morning drinks, Lunch, Afternoon drinks, Tea,
Bangladesh 2nd innings: Evening drinks, day two: Close,
Live Reports from previous days

SRI LANKAN SPINNERS GRAB THREE MORE WICKETS BEFORE THE CLOSE

Sri Lanka’s spinners grabbed three further wickets after the evening break to leave Bangladesh facing their second innings defeat in the space of a fortnight. At the close of play Bangladesh were 100 for four, still facing a 365 first innings deficit.

Javed Omar continued to take the attack to the Sri Lankan bowlers after the loss of Mehrab Hossain, as he carved Ruchira Perera over the slips and the used his feet to smash Muralitharan straight down the ground.

The off spinner, however, had the last laugh when he spun a ball sharply back into the right-handers pad, who was then adjudged to have been leg before wicket by umpire Mohammad Aslam.

Omar had scored an entertaining 40 runs in 66 balls and hit eight fours during his 78-minute innings. Bangladesh were 54 for two.

Off spinning allrounder Thilan Samaraweera was immediately brought into the attack in place of Ruchira Perera (4-1-11-0) in the 19th over of the innings and he trapped Al Shahriar leg before wicket with his very first ball.

Animul Islam and Habibul Bashar then added 19 runs for the fourth wicket before Muralitharan grabbed his third wicket, when Habibul was snapped up at silly point for 19.

Islam and Mohammad Ashraful survived to the close.

JAVED OMAR LEADS BANGLADESH FIGHT-BACK

Bangladesh, facing a daunting 465 first innings deficit, started their second innings confidently, as the openers Javed Omar and Mehrab Hossain added 31 for the first wicket. However, just before the drinks break, Muttiah Muralitharan broke through to leave the tourists on 31 for one with 24 overs remaining in the day.

Sri Lanka opened with Chaminda Vaas and Ravindra Pushpakumara.

Omar started the innings with a flurry of boundaries off the new ball. He drove Vaas through mid off for two fours and then cut Pushpakumara to the third man boundary for consecutive boundaries.

Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya wasted no time before he turned to his trump bowler Muttiah Muralitharan in the eighth over of the innings, replacing Pushpakumara from the Tennis Court End (3-1-10-0).

Omar continued to play positively and drove the off spinner through the off side for an early boundary.

Ruchira Perera then replaced Vaas from the Press Box End (5-2-11-0) and immediately troubled the Bangladeshi openers with his extra pace.

It was Muralitharan, however, that broke through, as he deceived yet another batsman with his straighter delivery and Kumar Sangakkara took a good catch behind the stumps. Mehrab had scored just four and look disappointed to have been given out as he touched his pad on his way back to the pavilion.

Omar remains at the wicket on 26 and he has been joined by Al Shahriar.

SRI LANKA FINALLY DECLARE

Sri Lanka finally declared their first innings on 555 for five after debutante Michael Vandort was caught on the long on boundary off the off spin of captain Naimur Rahman for 36 just before the tea interval. The massive first innings score gives the home side a lead of 465.

Mahela Jaywardene became the second batsmen of the day to be retired ‘out’ after he had reached his 150 off just 115 balls, which included 26 fours and one straight six.

It is believed to be the first time that international batsmen have been retired 'out' during cricket's 1561 Test history.

Hashan Tillakaratne and Vandort then added 25 further runs before the Sri Lankan captain finally called an end to what was becoming an embarrassing run spree with all batsmen scoring runs at will.

Rahman finished with two wickets and the best figures (30.3-8-117-2), which fairly reflected the fact that he was Bangladesh’s best bowler.

RECORDS START TO FALL AS RUN SPREE CONTINUES

Marvan Atapattu reached his fifth double century soon after the luncheon interval and promptly retired for 201, which was scored off 259 balls. Sri Lanka have progressed to 522 for two.

It is unclear at the time of writing whether he retired “hurt” or “out.” If it is the later, as it seems to be because Atapattu looked to be in good health, then it is an unprecedented move in Test match cricket.

Atapattu’s strange dismissal aside he now joins exulted company as one of just four batsmen, who have scored double tons in Test cricket on more than four occasions, the others being Sir Donald Bradman (12), Walter Hammond (7), and Javed Miandad.

Atapattu’s effort stands out because he has played so few innings – Miandad and Hammond played many more – and because he has only scored eighth Test centuries in all, which means that he has a phenomenal conversion rate. Four of them have been scored in Sri Lanka.

Michael Vandort came into bat after Atapattu and has so far scored 17 runs from 30 balls.

Jayawardene continues to shine at the other end and has now scored 146 off just 110 balls, having hit 25 impudent fours and one straight six. Though he may well throw his wicket away, he too has a chance of securing a name in the record, as his scoring rate is so fast that he could obliterate Ian Botham’s 220 ball record for the fastest ever double century in Test cricket. It’s been one of those days.

Sri Lanka, though, cannot be far from a declaration. They already have sufficient runs.

ATAPATTU NEARS FIFTH DOUBLE TON IN EMBARASSING RUN SPREE

Sri Lanka’s run plunder continued with embarrassing ease on the second morning of this one-sided contest, as Maravn Atapattu neared an historic fifth double century.

At lunch Sri Lanka had raced to 436 for two having added a staggering 190 runs in the two-hour session. They already have a lead of 346 runs and an afternoon declaration can be expected, although the team management would like to give debutante Michael Vandort to have a bat.

He may not get a chance, however, because Mahela Jaywardene and Atapattu look almost impregnable. The pair came to together after the fall of Sangakkara and have added 177 runs in just 101 runs.

At lunch the normally slow scoring Atapattu is 197 not out having hit 98 runs in just 94 balls. This would be his fifth time that he has scored a double ton and only Sir Donald Bradman (12), Walter Hammod (7), and Javed Miandad (6) have done so more times in Test cricket.

Jaywardene has made 82 runs off 71 balls, having reached his fifty off 44 balls, and looks set for his third consecutive Test century after hundreds against India in Kandy and Colombo.

The Bangladesh team looks understandably overawed. The bowlers have failed to bowl a consistent line and length, which they simply cannot afford when they so clearly lack potency. It hasn’t helped, of course, that the fielders have dropped five chances so far.

ATAPATTU REACHES EIGHTH TEST CENTURY

Sri Lanka’s batsmen, starting the day on 246 for one, continued to plunder runs freely on the second morning of their ATC clash with cricketing minnows Bangladesh.

The home team added 85 runs in the first hour off just 15 overs to finish the first hour on 331 for two with a massive 241 run lead already.

Bangladesh, at least, had the consolation of taking the wicket of number three batsmen Kumar Sangakkara soon after he had reached his fifth Test fifty. The left-hander had already been dropped once in the morning by Javed Omar at silly point before he square drove a wide delivery from Hasibul Hossain straight into the hands of backward point.

Sangakkara had scored 54 off 115 balls and hit six boundaries. The wicket ended a 125 run stand and Sri Lanka were 269 for two.

Marvan Atapattu, however, has shown no signs of relaxing. He reached his eighth Test century off the last ball of the first over of the day to a ripple of applause and has since hit five more boundaries. He is currently 136 not out off 201 balls with his fifty double century a clear possibility.

Mahela Jaywardene came to the wicket after the fall of Sangakkara and has bristled with positive intent. He has stroked five fours already and has raced to 30 off 30 balls. The inform Jayawardene did enjoy one moment of good fortune when Mohammad Sharif dropped a difficult caught and bowled chance just before the interval.

Bangladesh have changed the bowlers regularly, but the only economical bowler was medium pacer Hasibul, who conceded just 17 runs in a five over burst this morning.