Sri Lanka ended day two on 275 for 2, already 43 runs to the good and with every chance of turning this Colombo Test into a one-innings contest. Pathum Nissanka’s unbeaten 146 has done most of the leg-work, but it is Kusal Mendis – still in the pavilion – who is mapping out the next move.
Having kept for 79.3 overs he knows what the pitch is up to, or at least thinks he does. “What we’re trying to do is to bat long enough now that we don’t have to bat in a fourth innings, and to give them a good target from here,” Kusal said after stumps. “Tomorrow we are trying to bat as long as possible and put 150-200 runs on the scoreboard.”
Why that specific number? Because the surface at the SSC rarely stays placid. It started with a smattering of green but the sun has been on it all day, drawing out the moisture and quickening the turn. “We think it’s going to turn on day four and five, so we need to make the most of this batting opportunity,” Kusal said. “Even the grass that was quite green is dry now, so we expect it will get better for spin. If we can get to those runs quickly, that will give us options.”
Options in this context means a hefty lead – 190, maybe 240 – that lets his three-spinner attack operate without a safety net. It also means he and the rest of the middle order don’t have to worry about batting fourth on a dusty strip that could mis-behave.
Nissanka’s form has made the plan feel realistic. This is his fourth Test century and comes hot on the heels of 187 in Sylhet. “Pathum’s been among the runs for a while,” Kusal said. “He missed his 200 in the last match, but I think he’ll get there in the next innings. In recent times he’s the only opener who has been scoring runs. He’s scoring across formats. He puts a lot of effort in.”
Bangladesh, two down in the series and already behind on the scoreboard, need early breakthroughs on day three. Lose the first session and they could be chasing leather – and later, the ball that rips past the outside edge.
