1st Test: Vishwa, Dhananjaya, Kamindu put Sri Lanka on cusp of massive win against Bangladesh

Sylhet: Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (108) and Kamindu Mendis (164) scored their second tons in the match while Vishwa Fernando (3-13) led a flurry of late hits with the ball, pushing Bangladesh closer to a crushing defeat at stumps on the third day of the ongoing first Test.

Resuming the day at 119/5, Sri Lanka lost nightwatch Fernando with only seven runs scored to the overnight total. At 126/6, Bangladesh hoped to keep Sri Lanka's total manageable. However, much like in the previous innings, de Silva and Kamindu banded together to form a rearguard.

The pair accumulated 173 runs for the seventh wicket at a rapid pace, crushing Bangladesh's morale. As the stand progressed, the hosts began to lose control of the ball, allowing easy runs. De Silva became the first Sri Lankan skipper to produce twin tonnes in a Test match, while Kamindu became the fastest to do it for the country.

The 173-run stand was eventually broken when Dhananjaya dished a Mehidya Hasan Miraz delivery straight to Zakir Hasan.

By the time de Silva was removed, the lead had grown to 400 runs. Kamindu ensured that Bangladesh's suffering continued as he added a 67-run stand with Prabath Jayasuriya, pushing the lead above 500 runs. Bangladesh's bowlers had a difficult time creating the same level of pressure as they did in the first innings. Only Mehidy Hasan Miraz (4-74) maintained form during controlled stretches.

With such a large mark to chase, the hosts would have hoped to reach stumps with as few wickets as possible. Instead, Fernando set the tone by dismissing Mahmudul Hasan Joy in the opening over of the innings, resulting in a collapse. He also dismissed Shahadat Hossain and Litton Das, while Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara each picked up one wicket.