Jayawickrama’s 11, Mendis’s 6 complete Bangladesh rout

The winning Sri Lanka team (from left): Wanindu Hasaranga, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dimuth Karunaratne (Captain), Asitha Fernando, Ramesh Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Vishwa Fernando, Dhananjaya de Silva, Lakshan Sandakan (partly hidden), Oshada Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Pravaeen Jayawickrama, Suranga Lakmal, Pathum Nissanka, Roshane Silva and Dinesh Chandimal

• Sri Lanka wins second Test by 209 runs to take series 1-0

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka Captain Dimuth Karunaratne displays the Walton Trophy after his team had won the two-match series against Bangladesh 1-0

Sri Lanka wrapped up the second Test against Bangladesh before lunch on the fifth and final day, winning by a thumping 209 runs at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium yesterday, with 22-year-old left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama becoming the first Lankan bowler to capture ten wickets or more in a Test match on debut. He also had the best bowling figures by a Sri Lankan bowler in an innings on Test debut taking 6/92 in the first innings.

The win secured Sri Lanka the two-match series 1-0. It was also their first Test win in 16 months, during which period they lost four and drew four Tests. It was also Sri Lanka’s first series win in the ICC World Test Championships, having drawn 1-1 with New Zealand and nil-all with West Indies and lost by 2-0 margins to both South Africa and England and 1-0 to Pakistan. The win however did not improve Sri Lanka’s standings as they remained in eighth position with Bangladesh occupying the ninth and last spot (see ICC World Test Championship Standings).

Bangladesh, chasing a daunting target of 437 for victory, were dismissed in their second innings for 227 with Jayawickrama adding a further five wickets (5/86) to his first innings tally of six (6/92) for match figures of 11/178 – the 16th bowler to take a ten-fer in a match on Test debut.

Playing the supporting role was 25-year-old off-spinner Ramesh Mendis, who took 4/103 and match figures of 6/189. These two spinners, who play for Moors SC in the premier domestic competition, dominated the Test by taking 17 of the 20 wickets to fall.

What was creditable with their performances was that between them they had only one Test appearance and hardly any international experience coming into the Test, but still were able to dismantle a side like Bangladesh, who are very good players of spin bowling.

There was no doubt the toss played a crucial role in this Test and Sri Lanka winning it made the most it in the first two days when the pitch was good enough for batting. Bangladesh, with more application, could have scored more than the 251 they made on the first innings when the pitch was not quite assisting the spinners, but having conceded a first innings lead of 242, they were always going to be lagging behind Sri Lanka and when the pitch started to turn and bounce on the fourth and fifth days it became an impossible task to survive on it.

Bangladesh, resuming at 177/5, had a mountain to climb if they were to save the Test. The only resistance came from Mehidy Hasan Miraz – no mug with the bat with a Test batting average of 21 and a Test hundred to boot. Miraz resisted for 86 balls for 39 before falling to a well anticipated catch at short leg by Pathum Nissanka who held onto the paddle sweep to give Jayawickrama his tenth wicket of the match. Three balls later, it was all over as Jayawickrama completed the demolishing of Bangladesh by trapping last man Abu Jayed in front of the wicket for his second five-fer in an innings in the match.

Undoubtedly, Jayawickrama won the Player of the Match award and skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, who had a great series with the bat scoring 428 runs at an average of 142.66, took the Player of the Series award.

Bangladesh’s Shoriful Islam congratulates the wrecker-in-chief of the Bangladesh batting Praveen Jayawickrama at the end of the Test