SL v BAN, 1st Test, Day 1 Review: Mendis, Gunaratne puts Sri Lanka in a commanding position

Sri Lanka stamped their authority on Bangladesh in the opening day of the 1st Test at Galle and finished the day’s play in a commanding position. Winning the toss, stand-in-skipper Rangana Herath won the toss and elected to bat. Upul Tharanga and Dimuth Karunaratne strolled onto the crease to begin proceedings.

The hosts lost an early wicket in the form of Upul Tharanga in the 6th over of the day as the southpaw fell to Subhasis Roy. The ball skidded from an off stump line and Tharanga was surprised by the extra pace. He would have got the wicket of Kusal Mendis in the very next but he overstepped which denied him the wicket and Mendis went on to plunder the Bangla bowlers all around Galle.

Karunaratne played some delightful shots before falling to Mehedi Hasan at the score of 30. It was pitched at a good length area and it took the under edge and chopped it onto his stumps. Kusal Mendis, on the other hand, was playing the waiting game and looking pretty solid in the middle. Dinesh Chandimal who had a horrendous outing in the last few outing continued his dismal show and was dismissed after scoring only 5.

With the score at 92/3, the hero from Sri Lanka’s recent T20I series triumph in Sri Lanka, Asela Gunaratne joined the young man Mendis in the middle. The duo started rotating along the strike and played some wonderful shots. Gunaratne began with a confident cover drive of Mehedi Hasan and followed it up with one more in the very next over against the bowling of Subhasis Roy. Mendis then struck a couple of boundaries of Subhasis Roy in the 50th over to take Sri Lanka’s score to 143/3.

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The duo kept ticking along the scoreboard and didn’t try anything expansive. They also struck the occasional boundaries which never allowed pressure to climb up for the hosts despite losing 3 early wickets. Boundaries started coming thick and fast as both Mendis and Gunaratne took on the attack to the Bangladesh bowlers. In his comeback match, Mustafizur Rahman failed to make a mark and bagged only a solitary wicket.

Given the reputation with which he came here, it was a disappointing performance from the left arm cutter specialist. Mendis looked in total control of proceedings and played delightful shots which reminded one and all of his match-winning innings against Australia in their home series in August last year. His 176 in the 2nd innings of that match enabled Sri Lanka to pull off an unexpected victory after conceding a big lead in the 1st innings.

Mendis completed his 2nd Test century in the 64th over of the bowling off Mahmudullah Riyad. The duo kept going and stitched together an exceptional partnership which them in a strong position at the opening day’s play. After playing brilliantly Gunaratne was dismissed by Taskin Ahmed in the 83rd over of the day. It was a short of length delivery outside the off and the batsman chopped it onto his stumps.

Niroshan Dickwella joined Mendis in the middle and the duo batted out the remaining over to finish Day 1 at 321/4. While Mendis remained unbeaten on a brilliant 166, Dickwella is batting on 14.

Brief Scores

Sri Lanka 1st innings 321/4 (Kusal Mendis 166*, Asela Gunaratne 85, Taskin Ahmed 1/48)