Sri Lanka Eyes Imposing Lead as Mendis Predicts Spin Dominance in Second Test

Mendis Eyes Commanding Lead as Sri Lanka Seizes Control on Day 2

Kusal Mendis, the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter, expressed confidence that a lead of 150-200 runs would solidify his team's dominance, particularly with spin expected to play a pivotal role in the remaining days of the second Test against Bangladesh.

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

Mendis credited Nissanka for his brilliant batting display © AFP

"We are in a very good position, and our aim is to bat throughout the entire day tomorrow. We are targeting a lead between 150 and 200 runs. We anticipate that the wicket will offer significant spin in the final two days," Mendis stated after the day's play.

He further added, "Our plan is to accumulate as many runs as possible, aiming for a total exceeding 400. We are hopeful that we can achieve this target tomorrow."

Mendis also noted the changing conditions of the pitch: "The grass has dried out, and footmarks are becoming more prominent. I expect the pitch to offer increased turn. Our strategy is to avoid batting in the fourth innings. We intend to bat deep into the game and put significant pressure on the opposition."

Mendis lauded Nissanka's outstanding batting performance and acknowledged the contribution of their pace bowlers in dismissing Bangladesh for under 250 runs.

"It has been a treat to watch Pathum. He has batted exceptionally well. He has been consistent with his run-scoring, 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 a lot of effort to his game, which is clearly evident in his performances."

Regarding the bowling performance, Mendis said, "Our quick bowlers executed our plans effectively. They maintained discipline with their lengths and lines. On a pitch that doesn't offer much pace, that's 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 bowl in Sri Lanka."

He concluded, "We anticipated that the wicket would slow down and offer more turn. Our fast bowlers were exceptional, and they deserve a lot of credit. I believe that as we progress into Day Four, the conditions will be significantly different from what we have observed thus far."

Meanwhile, Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons attributed his team's struggles to their batting unit's inability to form substantial partnerships and noted the significant changes in the wicket's behavior during the second innings.

"Our main failing was the inability to construct substantial partnerships yesterday, which resulted in us entering today's play with only two or three wickets remaining."

Simmons elaborated, "It boils down to our batting performance and the partnerships that we failed to establish. At least two or three of our batsmen should have capitalized on their starts yesterday and converted them into significant scores. I hope we have taken note of Nissanka's impressive batting display, and that we will approach our second innings with the ambition of scoring big runs."

He further commented on the pitch conditions, "The wicket definitely improved as the match progressed. On the first day, it was a bit sticky and two-paced. Today, it became significantly better, and we witnessed how easy it was for the batters to score runs. There wasn't as much turn as there was yesterday, and the batters capitalized on the conditions. That's what Test cricket is all about sometimes."