Sri Lanka spinner Praveen Jayawickrama enjoyed a dream debut as he claimed 11 wickets to seal a 209-run victory over Bangladesh in the second Test here on Monday.
Chasing a daunting 437 to win, Bangladesh was dismissed for 227 in the first session of the final day after resuming at 177 for five as Sri Lanka wrapped up the match, and the series 1-0, after 90 minutes of play.
The 22-year-old left-armer Jayawickrama was named ‘player of the match’ after claiming 11-178 on his first Test appearance as he added five second-innings wickets to the six in the first.
Off-spinner Ramesh Mendis dismissed four batsmen as all the wickets in Bangladesh’s second innings wickets were picked up by the slow bowlers.
Jayawickrama struck in the third over of the day, his ninth wicket of the match, when he trapped Liton Das lbw with a ball that went straight on. He set a Sri Lankan record for a Test debutant, surpassing Akila Dananjaya’s eight for 44 against the same opponent in Dhaka in 2018.
Bowling change works
Mendis was replaced after a 15-over spell during which he took two wickets and the change worked immediately as part-time spinner Dhananjaya de Silva struck with his second delivery.
Taijul Islam, on two, attempted a late cut, but only managed to edge it to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella.
Mendis returned to have Taskin Ahmed caught by Dimuth Karunaratne.
Jayawickrama then mopped up the tail. Mehidy Hasan fell first to take the young bowler's match haul into double figures, before the left-arm spinner sealed the Test and the series three balls later when he trapped Abu Jayed leg-before.
Jayawickrama is the 16th Test cricketer to take 10 wickets or more on debut but only the second this century after Australia’s Jason Krejza, who took 12 wickets against India at Nagpur in 2008.
Sri Lanka captain Karunaratne was named ‘player of the series’.
The scores: Sri Lanka 493/7 decl. & 194/9 decl. bt Bangladesh 251 & 227 in 71 overs (M. Rahim 40, Ramesh Mendis 4/103, Jayawickrama 5/86).
Man-of-the-Match: Praveen Jayawickrama.
Player-of-the-Series: Dimuth Karunaratne.
Sri Lanka won by 209 runs to clinch two-match series 1-0 .
