Tigers hold the aces despite slow batting in second day

Bangladesh reached their third-highest team total away from home before bad light played spoilsport on day two of the first Test match between them and Sri Lanka at Pallekele.

The visitors added 172 off 65 overs to their overnight total of 302 for two and lost the wickets of Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque.

At stumps, Bangladesh were 474 for four with Mushfiqur Rahim unbeaten on 43 and Liton Das on 25.

Najmul Hossain Shanto, not out overnight on 126, was circumspect right from the start. So was Mominul Haque, the skipper, who started the day on 64 not out.

Sri Lankan bowlers were much more disciplined than the previous day and did not let the batters score freely. Shanto and Mominul did well to grind it out and reach personal milestones before lunch. 

Mominul reached his hundred few minutes before Shanto scored 150. This was Bangladesh skipper's 11th Test century and his first outside Bangladesh. In the process, he became only the third Bangladeshi captain to score a Test hundred in Sri Lanka. 

Shanto brought up 150 before lunch as well and became the third Bangladeshi batter to score 150 or more batting in at three. The first session was a good one for Bangladesh as they scored 76 runs without losing a wicket. 

Sri Lanka's long wait for a wicket ended after lunch as Shanto tried to punch the ball back down the ground and was deceived by a slightly slower delivery from Lahiru Kumara, only succeeding to play it in the air.

Kumara took an easy return catch and Shanto was dismissed for an outstanding 163 off 378. Only Mominul Haque made a higher score in maiden hundred in Tests for Bangladesh. 

Shanto and Mominul added 242 runs for the third wicket which is the highest third-wicket stand for Bangladesh in Tests. Also, it is the second-highest third-wicket partnership in Sri Lanka by a visiting pair.

Their partnership lasted 514 deliveries, only behind Mohammad Ashraful and Mushfiqur Rahim's monumental effort (267 of 518) in the list of longest partnership for Bangladesh in terms of balls. 

Mushfiqur Rahim came in at five after Shanto's departure and Sri Lankan bowlers were desperate to find another breakthrough. They wasted a couple of reviews in space of two overs. Mushfiqur initially struggled to find his timing and the bowlers bowled well during that period.

Mominul Haque tried to take on the spinners but failed to drive a ball away from his body and was caught by Lahiru Thirimanne at slip off Dhananjaya de Silva. The southpaw made 127 off 304 balls. It was the first time Mominul played more than 300 deliveries in Tests.

Runs started to come more swiftly with Liton Das' arrival in the crease. Mushfiqur Rahim also started to come out of his shell. But the rain stopped play at the 58th over of the day. 

Play resumed soon but it became increasingly difficult to continue because of lack of light. The players and umpires went off after the completion of the 155th over.

It was declared an hour later that there would be no more play. Bangladesh finished with 474 for four.