Twitter reactions: Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya De Silva agonize hosts in Sylhet on Day 3

Sri Lanka continued their domination in the ongoing Sylhet Test against Bangladesh. On a seaming track, the visiting side managed to dominate the home side by a brilliant batting effort. The Day 2 ended at 139/5, with the Lankans having a handy lead of 211 runs already on a tricky wicket to bat on. Seeing them in such a commanding position, it was expected of them to add a few more runs before declaring the innings. However, what followed was completely unanticipated.

Bangladesh did claim the wicket of the overnight batter Vishwa Fernando. It was followed by a sensational batting partnership between Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis, who took the game away from the hosts completely. The duo framed a 171-run for the seventh wicket which helped them to claim a 510-run lead in the second innings. 

Both the batters played some lovely drives. Their cut strokes slit through the oppositions hopes of making a comeback in the game. Bangladesh bowlers looked totally clueless. Both the batters scored hundreds and played a key role in the domination of Sri Lanka. On a wicket which had some assistance for the pacers, Bangladesh could not penetrate more with the ball. As the partnership grew, the shoulders of the players looked clearly down.

De Silva showed his class and applied well in the middle. The experienced batter played 179 balls and scored 108 runs, which included nine fours and two sixes. At the other end, Kamindu scored 164 runs in just 237 balls, which included 16 fours and a whopping six sixes. The bowlers were taken to the cleaners by the youngster, who showed brilliant application in the middle under pressure.

Lankans look for five more wickets for victory on Day 4

Despite the dismissal of De Silva, Mendis continued and played a marathon knock. Prabath Jayasuriya assisted his partner well and further frustrated the home side. His 25(47) with some poor bowling from Bangladesh ensured that the visiting side posted a mammoth total of 418 runs on the board in the 2nd innings. Bangladesh got a target of 511 runs to chase, which has never been achieved in the format.

Chasing the target, the home side lost wickets in a flurry. The Lankan Lions did well where the Bangla Tigers lacked, which was by bowling well in helpful conditions. The pace trio of Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, and Kasun Rajitha were brilliant with their seam bowling. They did not just put the batters under pressure but also got their wickets in quick time. The pace of the bowlers definitely troubled the batters, who seemed clueless in the middle.

Fernando, though, was the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets in his spell. The 32-year-old sent Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shahadat Hossain, and Litton Das back to the pavilion during his seven overs. At the other end, Kumara and Rajitha claimed a wicket each. At the end of the third day, the hosts find themselves at 47/5 and need 464 more to win. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are five wickets away from win.

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