At the close of Day 3' s play, Bangladesh stood at 115 for six in their second innings, having conceded a significant 211-run first-innings lead to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka had earlier been dismissed for 458 in their first innings. Bangladesh had scored 247 runs in their first innings after winning the toss on the opening day of the match.
In their second innings, Bangladesh's top and middle order struggled to capitalize on their starts. Anamul Haque was dismissed for 19, followed by Shadman Islam for 12, Mominul Haque for 15, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto for 26, Mushfiqur Rahim for 26, and Mehedy Hasan Miraz for 11. Meanwhile, Litton Das is still unscathed in the middle after scoring 13 runs.
Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva and left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya led the bowling attack, each taking two wickets for 13 and 47 runs respectively.
Earlier in the day, Sri Lankan opening batter Pathum Nissanka continued his impressive form, scoring over 150 runs for the second consecutive Test match. Kusal Mendis also contributed significantly with a rapid 84 off 87 deliveries. This partnership helped extend Sri Lanka’s lead after Bangladesh had threatened to regain control by taking four wickets in the first session.
Sri Lanka resumed their innings on the third day at 290 for two, with Nissanka unbeaten on 146 alongside nightwatchman Jayasuriya. They progressed steadily to reach 401 for six by the lunch break. Nissanka followed up his 187 in the first Test in Galle with a brilliant innings of 158, which included 19 boundaries and spanned over six hours, as he faced 254 deliveries.
The second new ball, taken by Bangladesh after 80 overs on Friday, produced immediate results when Nissanka stepped out to defend against left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, resulting in a simple catch for Haque at short cover. Taijul continued his success by dismissing Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva cheaply for 7, trapping him lbw with a straight delivery. Jayasuriya was eventually dismissed for 10 after occupying the crease for 75 minutes, fulfilling his role of protecting the regular batsmen overnight. He was caught at slip by Miraz off the bowling of fast bowler Nahid Rana.
Kamindu Mendis and Kusal Mendis then formed a 49-run partnership, attempting to stabilize the innings before off-spin bowler Nayeem Hasan dismissed Kamindu Mendis for 33. Kusal Mendis accelerated the scoring, hitting two elegant sixes and eight boundaries to further extend Sri Lanka’s lead while shielding the tailenders. He was eventually run out while attempting a risky second run to retain the strike. Taijul Islam was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers, taking five wickets for 131 runs, marking his 17th five-wicket haul in a Test innings.
As the first match ended in a draw, Sri Lanka will look to seal the series with a win over Bangladesh in the second Test