During the second day of the second Test match against Bangladesh on Sunday, the Sri Lankan cricket team smashed a record that had stood for 48 years.
On the second day of the second Test match against Bangladesh on Sunday, the Sri Lankan cricket team smashed a record that had stood for 48 years. In their opening innings, Sri Lanka amassed 531 runs without having a single batter reach the century mark. In the history of Test cricket, this was the greatest total achieved by any team in the absence of a player who made a century or more. Six of the top seven Sri Lankan batsmen hammered half-centuries, with Kamindu Mendis reaching an undefeated 92 and Kusal Mendis topping the charts with 93. The previous record was held by India in their 1976 Kanpur match against New Zealand, where they declared with a total of 524/9.
After knocking Sri Lanka out for 531 in Chittagong on Sunday, Bangladesh was leading 55-1 in their opening innings at stumps on the second day of the second Test.
After Lahiru Kumara bowled Mahmudul Hasan Joy for 21, opener Zakir Hasan was undefeated on 28 and nightwatchman Taijul Islam remained unbeaten on 0.
While Kamindu Mendis came dangerously close to become the third Test century in as many innings on Sunday, Sri Lanka amassed a record 531 runs in their opening innings against Bangladesh.
On the second day of the second Test in Chittagong, Sri Lanka posted the highest total in Test history without having a batter reach 100.
When Asitha Fernando was run out for a duck at 92 not out, Mendis was eight runs short of becoming just the fourth Sri Lankan player to score three hundreds in a row.
To get near to the feat, Mendis, who scored 102 and 164 in the first Test, hit Taijul Islam for two sixes in an over.
In a desperate attempt to modify the strike, Fernando, however, missed his crease.
Dhananjaya de Silva (70), Dinesh Chandimal (59), Kusal Mendis (93), Dimuth Karunaratne (86), and Nishan Madhushka (57) all hit fifty apiece in addition to Mendis, who was playing in just his third Test.
After deciding to bat first, Sri Lanka forced Bangladesh to toil for almost two days, scoring 3-110 in the process thanks to Shakib Al Hasan. With a 314-4 lead, Sri Lanka started the second day.
Similar to Mendis, who also struck 102 and 108 in the opening Test, De Silva hinted at the possibility of reaching 300 without losing before being removed during the post-lunch session.
After scoring 59 runs in the opening session, Chandimal was the only batsman to be removed, edging Shakib behind the stumps.
Following the lunch break, Khaled Ahmed trapped De Silva leg before.
If Prabath Jayasuriya hadn’t been hilariously dismissed by three slip fielders on six, Khaled might have grabbed another wicket in his following over.
Mendis was found to have been caught behind on 35 off Mehidy Hasan Miraz; however, the ruling was overturned upon review.
Mendis, who was caught by Hasan Mahmud at deep square leg on 60, ended his 65-run seventh wicket stand with Shakib when he smashed Jayasuriya plumb in front.
By 328 runs, Sri Lanka won the opening Test in Sylhet.
