Sri Lankan cricketer and Man-of-the-Match Kumar Sangakkara (left) shaks hands with Ranagna Herath after their team’s victory in the second Test match against Bangladesh at the R Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo yesterday. Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by seven wickets on the penultimate day of the second and final Test in Colombo to clinch the series 1-0.
COLOMBO: Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara struck half centuries as Sri Lanka coasted to a seven-wicket series-clinching victory over Bangladesh on the fourth day of the second and final Test yesterday.
The win had been set up by left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, who celebrated his 35th birthday with career-best figures of seven for 89 and his 200th Test wicket as Bangladesh were earlier bowled out for 265 in their second innings.
Dilshan hit a brisk 57 off 73 balls that included six fours and Sangakkara continued his amazing form in the series to score 55 from 85 balls with eight fours.
It was the first time in four innings that Sangakkara had been dismissed below 100. He was named Man-of-the-Series with a total aggregate of 441 runs.
The pair added 94 for the second wicket and after they were dismissed, Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews with 13 apiece carried Sri Lanka to their victory target of 160 for the loss of three wickets.
Dilshan was bowled by Robiul Islam playing an ambitious drive and Sangakkara was also bowled when he tried to sweep Sohag Gazi and the ball trickled onto his stumps.
Captain Mathews later showered praise on Herath after the slow left armer’s nagging accuracy crushed Bangladesh.
“Since the legend Muttiah Muralitharan retired, Herath has been the man for us,” Mathews told reporters.
“He lands all six balls on the same spot which so many bowlers don’t do. With his variations he takes a lot of wickets but he has a lot of control as well.”
Mathews was captaining his country for the first time this series and he was satisfied with a 1-0 win after a draw in the first Test. “It was important to win a series because whoever you play against, you are under pressure to win,” added the 25-year-old all-rounder.
“We wanted to win the series 2-0 but we couldn’t do that but I thought we played some really good cricket in this Test and won.
“We were under a little bit of pressure, we had to win this game. We knew that we could do it.”
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