Dilshan hits half-century in Bangladesh Test

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Tillakaratne Dilshan cracked a solid 54 as Sri Lanka reached 132-1 at lunch on the opening day of the first Test against Bangladesh in Galle today.

Former captain Kumar Sangakkara was unbeaten on 44 at the break with opener Dimuth Karunaratne (20 not out) after the hosts had won the toss and elected to bat.

Dilshan played some attractive shots as he smashed four boundaries early in his innings, two each off pacemen Shahadat Hossain and Abul Hasan. He then hit two successive fours off off-spinner Sohag Gazi. He completed his 22nd Test half-century in style when he drove left-arm spinner Elias Sunny past mid-on for a four before falling in the next over, caught by debutant Mominul Haque at mid-off off Gazi.

Dilshan hit nine fours in his 63-ball knock. Left-handed Karunaratne, who retired hurt on 15 after being struck on the elbow while trying to pull Hossain in the ninth over, returned after the dismissal of Dilshan.

Sangakkara, who returned to the team after missing the third and final Test in Australia in January due to finger injury, started impressively as he hit a four off the first ball he faced from Hossain.

He has so far hit five fours in his 65-ball knock. Sri Lankan batsman Kithuruwan Vithanage, and Bangladesh’s Mominul Haque and Anamul Haque made their Test debuts. Anamul replaced hard-hitting opener Tamim Iqbal, who was ruled out of the match due to an injury.

Sri Lanka’s unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis, who played his last Test in May 2011, returned to the Test team.