Despite a shambolic batting performance where they were bundled out for 178, Bangladesh's young pacers clawed back some pride on day three against Sri Lanka at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Monday. Debutant Hasan Mahmud, who had already shown promise in the first innings, emerged as the star with four crucial wickets. Sri Lanka ended day three at 102-6, with a lead of 456.
Partnering with the experienced Khaled Ahmed, Bangladesh bowlers kept Sri Lanka's batsmen on their toes by bowling consistently good length deliveries that targeted the fourth stump. Hasan's early breakthroughs, including the vital wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne in the second over, put Sri Lanka on the back foot. Angelo Mathews' unbeaten 39 kept Sri Lanka in a strong position and they are well on their way to winning the Test and securing a series sweep.
Eighteen-year- old Hasan Mahmud, making his Test debut, announced himself on the big stage with a four-wicket haul in the final session. He displayed maturity beyond his years, teaming up effectively with the more seasoned Khaled Ahmed. Together, they exploited the Sri Lankan batting weaknesses by bowling at a good, nagging length that consistently tested the outside edge.
Hasan's ability to extract occasional steep bounce and movement off the pitch further disrupted the Sri Lankan batsmen, leading to key dismissals of Kusal Mendis and the experienced duo of Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva. While Bangladesh's bowlers provided a much-needed fightback, Sri Lanka remain in a dominant position to secure a convincing victory and a series sweep. Angelo Mathews, who was dropped on seven by Shahadat Hossain Dipu, provided some resistance with an unbeaten 39. He will look to continue building a score alongside Prabath Jayasuriya on day four.
Bangladesh's hopes for a strong showing were dashed after a batting collapse following the lunch break. They lost their remaining six wickets in quick succession, handing Sri Lanka a mammoth 353-run lead. Senior batsmen Shakib Al Hasan and Liton Das were dismissed cheaply within four deliveries of each other. The middle order followed suit, with a string of soft dismissals including Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, and Khaled Ahmed.
Amidst the batting carnage, Mominul Haque managed to achieve a personal milestone by reaching 4000 Test runs. He became only the fourth Bangladeshi cricketer to achieve this feat. However, his valiant knock was cut short by an LBW decision, leaving Bangladesh with a paltry total of 178 runs.
