Mendis Eyes Imposing Lead as Sri Lanka Seizes Control Against Bangladesh

Sri Lanka Aims for Commanding Lead Against Bangladesh

Kusal Mendis, the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter, expressed confidence that a substantial lead of 150-200 runs would give his team a significant advantage in the ongoing second Test against Bangladesh. He anticipates that spin bowling will become increasingly influential in the final two days of the match.

Mendis credited Nissanka for his brilliant batting display © AFP

Sri Lanka concluded Day 2 with a score of 290/2, securing a 43-run lead in the first innings. This was largely thanks to Pathum Nissanka's impressive unbeaten 146 and Dinesh Chandimal's contribution of 93.

"We are in a very good position, and our goal is to bat throughout the entire day tomorrow," Mendis stated after the day's play. "We are aiming for a lead between 150 and 200 runs. We expect the wicket to favor spin bowling during the last two days."

Mendis further elaborated on the team's strategy, "Our plan is to accumulate as many runs as possible, exceeding 400 if possible. We are hopeful that we can achieve this tomorrow."

He also noted the changing conditions of the pitch: "The grass has dried, and footmarks are beginning to appear, leading me to believe that the pitch will offer more turn. Our objective is to avoid batting in the fourth innings. We intend to bat deeply now and apply pressure on the opposition."

Mendis lauded Nissanka's outstanding batting performance and emphasized the importance of acknowledging the efforts of their pace bowlers, who were instrumental in dismissing Bangladesh for under 250 runs.

"It has been a pleasure to watch Pathum bat. He has been exceptional," Mendis commented. "He has consistently scored runs, even in the previous series. It was unfortunate that he missed out on a double century in Galle, and I hope he achieves that milestone here. He has been our most consistent batter across all three formats. He dedicates himself to improving his game, and it shows."

Regarding the bowling attack, Mendis said, "Our fast bowlers executed our plans perfectly. They maintained discipline with their lengths and lines. On a pitch that lacks pace, this is precisely what is required – not only with the new ball but also with the old ball. This is the best I have seen our fast bowlers perform in Sri Lanka."

"We anticipated that the wicket would become slower and offer more turn. Our fast bowlers were exceptional, and they deserve considerable recognition. I believe that the conditions on Day Four will be significantly different from what we have experienced so far," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's head coach, Phil Simmons, attributed their performance to the batting unit's failure to establish substantial partnerships. He also noted the significant changes in the wicket's behavior during the second innings.

"Our main shortcoming was the failure to build significant partnerships yesterday, which resulted in us entering today with only two or three wickets remaining," Simmons explained.

"It comes down to our batting and the partnerships that we failed to create. At least two or three of our batters should have capitalized on their starts yesterday and achieved high scores. I hope we have learned from Nissanka's excellent batting and that we approach the second innings with the goal of scoring big runs."

Simmons added, "The wicket undoubtedly improved. On the first day, it was somewhat sticky and two-paced. Today, it became much better, and we observed how comfortable it was for the batters. There was less turn compared to yesterday, and the batters performed well. This is often the nature of Test cricket."