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Sri
Lanka eyes win despite Ashraful’s defiance
Muthiah
Muralitharan took three wickets to strengthen Sri Lanka’s
chances of winning the opening Test against Bangladesh
here on Tuesday despite a fighting 70 not out by skipper
Mohammad Ashraful.
Bangladesh, shot out for 178 in the first innings, put
in a better performance in the second innings when they
reached 254-5 at stumps on the penultimate day, chasing
an unlikely 521-run target.
The highest fourth-innings total to win a Test is 418-7,
by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003.
Ashraful offered stiff resistance to the Sri Lankan
attack, hitting 11 fours in his eighth Test half-century
-- his first since July 2007. He also completed 2,000
Test runs during his 153-ball knock.
Off-spinner Muralitharan (3-85), who bagged six wickets
in the first innings, again did the maximum damage as
he did not allow Bangladesh’s middle-order batsmen
to settle with his clever variations.
He
had Junaid Siddique (37) caught by skipper Mahela Jayawardene
at first slip and bowled Raqibul Hasan (24) in his four
overs in the afternoon session.
Muralitharan reduced the hosts to 180-5 when he had
Mehrab Hossain (23) caught by substitute Chamara Kapugedera
at mid-off in the last session.
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