PALLEKELE (Sri Lanka): Dimuth Karunaratne’s career-best 244 innings could not stop the first Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh ending in a draw after heavy rain curtailed the final session on Sunday.
After Sri Lanka declared their first innings on 648 for eight at lunch on the final day, Bangladesh, who made 541 for seven in their first innings, reached 100 for two, with Tamim Iqbal on 70, in their follow-up when play was called off in Pallekele.
Sri Lanka skipper Karunaratne was named man of the match for completing the tenth highest Test score by a Sri Lankan.
He batted for 698 minutes, faced 437 deliveries and put on 345 for the fourth wicket with Dhananjaya de Silva.
Their stand — a record partnership in matches between the two countries — ended early in the final morning when De Silva chopped a ball onto his stumps.
“I enjoyed the partnership with him,” said Karunaratne. “We wanted to declare on day five once we had got a decent lead, but if we hadn’t wanted to do that, I could have batted all day today.”
After a wicketless day four, Bangladesh picked up five wickets on the final morning with Taskin Ahmed accounting for both overnight batsmen. He finished with three for 112.
Tamim, who hit 90 in the first innings, went on the attack in Bangladesh’s second innings even though the match was of little interest.
He brought up his half-century — from 52 runs scored at that stage — with a fierce cover drive after Vishwa Fernando overpitched.
Tamim faced just 56 balls for his 30th Test half-century. The left-hander was particularly harsh on the part-time spinner De Silva, whom he hit for three sixes.
