Tenacious Tigers keep up with the pressure
RECORDS TUMBLE IN PALLEKELE
Bangladesh's Test skipper Mominul Haque achieved his first hundred outside home soil, his eleventh overall, and his fourth against Sri Lanka. His previous best overseas score was 77 against South Africa in Potchefstroom in 2017.
Najmul Hossain Shanto became only the next batsman from the team to cross 150 in his maiden Test century. He struck 17 fours and a six in his 163 runs innings. Mominul reaches the very best of the list as he scored 181 runs against New Zealand in Chattogram in 2013.
Najmul and Mominul added 242 runs to record Bangladesh's fifth-highest partnership in virtually any wicket and highest third-wicket partnership in Test overall. The prior record for the third-wicket partnership 236 in Chattogram in 2018 against Sri Lanka) was set up by Mominul and Mushfiqur Rahim. Shanto and Mominul's record-breaking partnership lasted 85.4 overs.
For the very first time in his Test career left-handed Mominul played more than 300 deliveries within an innings. He made 127 off 304 balls, having struck 11 fours.
Bangladesh lost only two wickets in the first 100 overs of their innings, and the only instance of such feat for them was seen back 2003 against Pakistan.
The Bangladesh batsmen showed dedication and urgency in sticking to their plan on the next day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in what ended up being another good day trip in the centre for the visitors, even as bad light at Kandy saw no play in the 3rd session.
Both left-handers, Najmul Hossain and Mominul Haque, put a price on the wicket and that facet had not been lost when the pair departed, that was an encouraging sign for the Tigers.
If Tamim Iqbal had set the tone with his selection of strokes on the first day, taking the attack to the Lankan bowlers, Najmul and Mominul -- who started your day on 126 and 64 respectively - found composure and levelheadedness on the side to help make the Lankan attack toil on a wicket that had not been offering anything extra.
The Sri Lankan bowlers, for his or her part, had done more homework before Day Two as was evident from the more controlled line and length but the curbing the run-rate was also afflicted by both Najumul and Mominul not seeking to force the problem and letting their advantage slip.
The duo placed on the highest partnership for Bangladesh for the 3rd wicket in Tests of 242 runs, beating the prior best of 236 runs by Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul in Chattogram in 2018 against the same opposition. It had been also the fifth best partnership for Bangladesh for just about any wicket, but most of all, it was the second-highest partnership for the Tigers in Tests with regards to deliveries faced by a pair.
The Najmul-Mominul duo batted together for 514 deliveries, falling short of the very most deliveries played in a partnership by four deliveries. That record still belongs to Mohammad Ashraful and Mushfiqur because of their 267-run partnership in Galle back against Sri Lanka in 2013, when the duo negotiated 518 deliveries.
The record should speak volumes of the patience that was displayed by both Najmul and Mominul. Mominul reached his first-ever overseas ton while Najmul reached the 150-run landmark before lunch. Najmul would perhaps rue the ability of missing out on a double ton as he played a Lahiru Kumara right back to the bowler, playing the delivery prematurily .. Before that, he previously faced 378 deliveries during his resilient 168, laced with 17 fours and a six.
Mominul, whose capability to perform in away conditions have already been questioned again and again in no uncertain conditions due to his insufficient big scores outside the country, notched his 11th Test ton; his first outside Bangladesh in a career spanning eight years -- a baffling statistics by any measure given his experience and technique.
His previous best score on Lankan soil have been 64, averaging just above 33 in three Tests. It had been a joyous occasion for the left-hander when he cut Dhananjaya de Silva to backwards point -- one of is own favourite scoring zones through the knock -- for four to get his maiden away ton. Dhananjaya would bag Mominul's scalp in the next session whenever a flighted delivery teased the left-hander for a drive that Mominul edged to slide, but not before determined 127 off 304 deliveries, featuring 11 fours.
Despite having two wickets lost before tea, Mushfiqur and Liton Das would see out the short rain break and the eventual stoppage of play because of bad light with the former unbeaten on 43 and the latter on 25 as Bangladesh finished another good day.
