Let-off No.2: Mendis cashes in with 194 ...
KUSAL Mendis was given out first ball but eventually fell just six runs short of a double century as Sri Lanka gained a commanding lead in Galle.
Mendis, batting at three, made 194 that included four sixes as Sri Lanka set Bangladesh a daunting total of 494 in their first innings. But this only came after a reprieve from the first ball of his innings when Subashis Roy had him edging behind, but the bowler overstepped.
Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella and Dilruwan Perera also passed 50 with Mendis quick to praise Gunaratne, saying: “Asela’s in really good form, after doing well in the Australia series, and had a feeling he’d get a good score.
“When he was at the other end, it became easier for me as well. At one time, he took the pressure off me when I was feeling a bit tired. It was easy to bat with him.”
In response, Perera and Rangana Herath both claimed three wickets as Bangladesh were bowled out for 312. Mushfiqur Rahim top scored for the tourists with 85 with bad light and heavy rain bringing an early end to day two just as the final Bangladesh wicket fell.
That was only after two balls were possible in the final session, with Herath picking up the wicket of Mustafizur Rahman in bizarre fashion as the batsman clipped hard into the leg side, only for the ball to get stuck to the short leg fielder for a freakish dismissal.