Dimuth Karunaratne and Dhananjaya de Silva power Sri Lanka to 512/3

KANDY: Bangladesh bowlers were made to toil all day as Dimuth Karunaratne and Dhananjaya de Silva shared an unbeaten 322-run partnership, which took Sri Lanka to 512 for 3 at stumps on the fourth day of the first Test in Kandy on Saturday.

Replying to Bangladesh's mammoth score of 541 for 7 declared, Sri Lanka now trail the visitors by 29 runs, even as the Test looks heading towards a draw.

Sri Lanka started the day at the overnight score of 229 for 3. Just like the last session on Day 3, Karunaratne and Dhananjaya frustrated the Bangladesh bowlers, notching up 234 and 154 runs, respectively on a wicket that had nothing for the seamers or the spinners.

Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque brought himself into the attack as well to break the partnership but to no avail. He also pressed opener Saif Hasan into the attack, but nothing worked against the Karunaratne-Dhananjaya pair. After the tea break, Karunaratne picked up his double hundred, while Dhananjay too crossed the century mark.

Brief scores: Bangladesh 541 for 7 decl in 173 overs (N Shanto 163, M Haque 127, T Iqbal 90; V Fernando 4/96) vs Sri Lanka 512 for 3 in 149 overs (D Karunaratne 234 batting, D de Silva 154 batting, A Mathews 25; T Ahmed 1/91, M Miraz 1/123, T Islam 1/136). IANS

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