SL in command with solid base

Mar 08, 2013

Sri Lanka, after choosing to bat, started positively as opener Tillakaratne Dilshan put on 46 quick runs with Dimuth Karunaratne•Associated Press

Dilshan kept the run-rate up, and brought up a half-century•AFP

Sangakkara batted patiently to lead his side towards a big total•AFP

Before stumps, Lahiru Thirimanne had also scored a fifty•AFP

But then Karunaratne got hit on the arm by a rising delivery from Shahdat Hossain and retired hurt•AFP

But soon after he charged down the wicket to smash offspinner Sohag Gazi, to be caught•Associated Press

He reached his 31st Test century before tea•Associated Press

Gazi, who had taken all three wickets fall, had given Bangladesh some relief, but the day belonged to the hosts, who ensured a solid grip on the contest•AFP

Karunaratne put on 67 runs with Kumar Sangakkara for the third wicket before departing for 41•AFP

He struck 19 boundaries, including three sixes, in his 226-ball 142, before smashing a Gazi delivery straight to short cover•Associated Press