Sri Lanka managed to hold their nerve as they scored 260 runs losing six wickets before the first Test match ended in a draw at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in the port city Thursday.
Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam claimed four wickets in the morning session and just after the lunch break to give some sort of hope to Bangladesh but Lankan pair Dinesh Chandimal and Niroshan Dickwella stopped the rot for the visitors and eventually the match ended in a tame draw.
The tourists started the day on 39 for two with skipper Dimuth Karunaratne batting on 18.
No 4 batsman Kusal Mendis formed a 66-run partnership with his captain and batted with aggressive mindset, trying to extend their lead in quick time.
Taijul was bowling beautifully from one end and he initiated the first breakthrough in the morning session of day five as Mendis was bowled in the second ball of the 32nd over.
It was a classic left-armer’s delivery from Taijul where Mendis tried a defensive shot leaning forward but missed the flighted delivery which eventually hit the off stump.
Mendis departed with 48 runs under his belt with eight fours and one six.
Tigers then became hopeful of bundling out the Lankans early as Angelo Mathews, who scored 199 in the first innings, was gone for nought as he was caught and bowled by Taijul.
It was a brilliant reflex catch by the left-arm spinner.
After lunch Karunaratne (52) also lost his wicket while trying to clear the boundary over midwicket.
But Tigers captain Mominul Haque made a well-judged dive to his right to take a very good catch.
Few overs later Shakib al Hasan removed Dhananjaya de Silva (33) and things got interesting as Sri Lanka had a lead of around 100 at that time.
But Chandimal and Dickwella held firm from there and stitched together an unbroken 99-run partnership and thus the match headed towards a draw.
Taijul finished the second innings with bowling figure of 34-9-82-4.
Mathews was adjudged player of the match for his 199 in the first essay while Bangladesh off-spinner Nayeem Islam was nominated as most valuable player.
“It was disappointing, but once again it's cricket and you got to take what God gives you. I just wanted to get one run and get off strike. It was a batting friendly wicket, but Bangladesh made us work really hard. Credit should go to them, they didn't give us any freebies and made us work for our runs,” Mathews said after the match.
The second and final Test will start from this Monday in Dhaka.
