Rain limits first day at Kandy

The third and final Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh got off to damp start when rain restricted play to less than 30 overs for the first day at Kandy.

With the covers coming on and off, Sri Lanka won the toss for the third time of the series and elected to field first. The tactic paid off when Lasith Malinga had opener Javed Omar out in their third over, LBW for eight.

Habibul Bashar joined Shahriar Nafees at the crease and managed to consolidate the score and rebuild in an effort to save face and attempt to avert a series whitewash. However the weather intervened yet again and play and the Bangladesh momentum were halted at 44/1.

When play resumed Sri Lanka struck immediately, as happens so often after a break; Habibul Bashar caught behind, off the bowling of Farveez Maharoof for 18.

More rain irritated the crowds and when play finally got underway, Sri Lanka brought on Muttiah Muralitharan who didn’t take long to dismiss Rajin Saleh for a 25 ball duck with a ripping doosra.

A couple of overs later and Muralitharan struck again when an impatient Shahriar Nafees attempted to hit the ball over mid-off only to be caught by Sujeeva de Silva for 29.

Not long afterwards and the conditions intervened yet again, this time it was bad light and play was called off after frustrating day where only 29 overs were bowled with Bangladesh in trouble at stumps on 72/4.

Bangladesh 74/4
Shahriar Nafees 29
Muttiah Muralitharan 2-10