Tillakaratne Dilshan gave a superb all-round performance to power Sri Lanka to a record 465-run victory over Bangladesh in the second and final Test yesterday.
It was the fifth-largest win by runs in the history of the game and was also Sri Lanka’s biggest margin of victory by runs in 182 Tests.
Dilshan scored an impressive 143 — his second century of the match — as the visitors set an improbable 624-run target for the hosts.
PHOTO: AFP
Bangladesh were bundled out for 158 in their second innings on the penultimate day to lose the series 2 0.
Dilshan, who picked up 4-10 with his part-time spin, was named both man of the match and of the series.
Middle-order batsman Shakib Al Hasan (46) and wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim (43) were the main contributors in a dismal Bangladeshi batting performance lasting a mere 49.2 overs.
Dilshan was brilliantly backed by unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis who took 3-57 to finish with a match haul of seven wickets.
Mendis started the slide when he took three quick wickets in his opening spell, removing opener Imrul Kayes (five), Junaid Siddique (four) and Mohammad Ashraful (seven) to reduce the hosts to 62-5 at the tea break.
Pacemen Dilhara Fernando and Chaminda Vaas grabbed a wicket apiece before the 32-year-old Dilshan finished the job in the closing session.
Sri Lanka earlier declared their second innings at their lunch score of 447-6, built around Dilshan’s 175-ball effort, which was studded with 14 fours and a six.
Dilshan, who top-scored with 162 in the first innings, became the fourth Sri Lankan to score two hundreds in a match after Duleep Mendis, Asanka Gurusinha and Aravinda de Silva.
Dilshan, 81 overnight, dominated the morning session with his aggressive batting to virtually put the match beyond Bangladesh’s reach. He was the sixth man out, bowled by left-arm spinner Enamul Haque.
Thilan Samaraweera was the first to go, adding only five runs to his overnight score of 72. He shared a 145-run stand for the fifth wicket with Dilshan.
Chamara Kapugedera also joined the run feast, making an unbeaten 59 off 92 balls with three sixes and a four.
Bangladesh have now lost 52 of their 59 Tests, with six draws and a lone victory against lowly Zimbabwe.
Complete scoreboard on the fourth day of the second and final Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka yesterday:
• Sri Lanka 1st innings: 384 (T. Dilshan 162, S. Hasan 4-109).
• Bangladesh 1st innings: 208 (M. Mortaza 63, A. Mendis 4-71).
• Sri Lanka 2nd innings (overnight 296-4): M. Warnapura lbw b S. Hossain 27; P. Jayawardene c S. Hasan b Ashraful 28 ; K. Sangakkara b Ashraful 54; M. Jayawardene c Kayes b Enamul 22; T. Samaraweera lbw b S. Hasan 77; T. Dilshan b Enamul143; C. Kapugedera not out 59; C. Vaas not out 20
• Extras (b3, lb4, w4, nb6) 17
• Total (for six wickets decl.) 447
• Fall of wickets: 1-55 (P. Jayawardene), 2-55 (Warnapura), 3-123 (M. Jayawardene), 4-165 (Sangakkara), 5-310 (Samaraweera), 6-396 (Dilshan)
• Bowling: Mortaza 15-3-53-0, S. Hossain 28-3-92-1 (nb1, w2), S. Hasan 20-2-79-1 (nb2), Enamul 36-2-109-2 (nb3, w2), Ashraful 17-1-56-2, M. Hossain 8-0-38-0, R. Hasan 1-0-3-0, Kayes 1-0-7-0, Iqbal 1-0-3-0.
• Overs: 127
• Bangladesh 2nd innings: T. Iqbal c P. Jayawardene b Vaas 17; I. Kayes c M. Jayawardene b Mendis 5; J. Siddique lbw b Mendis 4; R. Hasan b Fernando 10; M. Ashraful c P. Jayawardene b Mendis7; M. Rahim run out 43; S. Hasan st P. Jayawardene b Dilshan46; M. Hossain lbw b Dilshan 5; M. Mortaza c M. Jayawardene b Dilshan 0; S. Hossain b Dilshan 1; E. Haque not out 0.
• Extras (lb5, b4, nb11) 20
• Total (all out) 158
• Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Kayes), 2-22 (Iqbal), 3-32 (Siddique), 4-42 (Ashraful), 5-52 (R. Hasan), 6-144 (S. Hasan), 7-154 (M. Hossain), 8-154 (Mortaza), 9-156 (S. Hossain)
Bowling: Vaas 8-3-16-1, Fernando 12-4-36-1 (nb6), Mendis 15-4-57-3 (nb5), Muralitharan 10-0-30-0, Dilshan 4.2-1-10-4.
• Overs: 49.2
• Result: Sri Lanka win by 465 runs
• Series result: Sri Lanka clinch two-Test series 2-0.
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