Sri Lanka openers make good progress in 2nd test against Bangladesh

CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh — Opener Nishan Madushka scored an unbeaten half-century as Sri Lanka made a solid start to the second and final test, reaching 88-0 at lunch on Saturday.

After winning the toss and opting to bat first, the tourists made a fluent start with Madushka driving pacer Syed Khaled Ahmed for a four past boundary in the first over.

Karunaratne also began with a boundary when he clipped a full length delivery of debutant Hasan Mahmud past mid-wicket.

Bangladesh's bowlers still created some chances in the otherwsie barren session but their fielders couldn’t hold on to the catches.

Madushka was dropped on 9 when Mahmudul Hasan put down a straightforward chance off fast bowler Mahmud at second slip.

His opening partner Dimuth Karunaratne was also lucky to have survived as he top-edged a Mahmud delivery but Shakib Al Hasan, playing his first game since the 2023 World Cup in India, fumbled it over the boundary line to give Karunaratne a six.

Madushka reached his second fifty off 80 balls, when he punched offspinner Mehidy Hasan to mid-off for a single.

Madushka was batting on 55 from 97 balls, hitting six fours at the interval with Karunaratne on 33.

Sri Lanka made one change from the team which won the first test by 328 runs with Asitha Fernando replacing the injured Kasun Rajitha, who took eight wickets in that match.

Star allrounder Shakib and Mahmud — who played 39 white-ball matches for Bangladesh before making his test debut here — replaced fast bowlers Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam for the hosts.

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