Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara today became the second batsman in history of Test cricket to score a triple-century and a hundred in the same mat ch as Sri Lanka seta huge target of 467 runs to win the second Test for Bangladesh in Chittagong on Friday.
Sri Lanka, who had a huge lead of 161 runs on the first innings, declared their second innings at 305-4 in the final hour of penultimate day’s play at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium.
Bangladesh in reply, set an improbable target of 467 to record a series-levelling win, were 12-0 at stumps with Tamim Iqbal on seven and Shamsur Rahman on four.
Sri Lanka will start the final day as favourites needing 10 wickets to sweep the two-match series 2-0, while Bangladesh require another 455 runs in a minimum of 90 overs level the series at 1-1.
Classy left-handed batsman Kumar Sangakkara followed his 319 in the first innings with 105 in the second, and in the process joined Englishman Graham Gooch as the only batsmen to achieve the rare feat.
Gooch scored 333 and 123 against India at Lord’s in 1990.
Sangakkara, with 34 three-figure knocks already under his belt, added one more to the tally with a six off Sohag Gazi after tea, but was bowled off the next delivery.
Dinesh Chandimal was the other star of the day for visitors as he remained unbeaten on 100, having shared a fourth-wicket stand of 145 with Sangakkara after Sri Lanka‘s stuttered in their second innings and found themselves 78-3.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh were bowled out for 426 in their first knock within 25 minutes of the start in reply to Sri Lanka‘s 587.
Spinner Ajantha Mendis finished with 6/99, having claimed both the remaining wickets after Bangladesh resumed the day at 409-8.
Mendis dismissed Mahmudullah with the morning’s fourth delivery, forcing a catch to short-leg before as the batsman failed to add to his overnight score of 30.
Al-Amin Hossain was bowled by Mendis for nine, leaving last man Abdur Razzak unbeaten on 11.
Offspinner Dilruwan Perera supported Mendis with three wickets, while seamer Suranga Lakmal took one.
When Sri Lanka batted for a second time, offspinner Mohammad Mahmudullah dismissed both openers, Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva, before lunch to make it 49-2.
Left-handed Karunaratne was snapped up smartly in the slips by Nasir Hossain for 15, while Silva was trapped leg-before for 29.
Shakib Al Hasan then claimed Mahela Jayawardene leg-before for 11 early in the post-lunch session as Sri Lanka slipped to 78-3.
Sri Lanka won the first test by an innings and 248 runs in Dhaka last week.
