At Kandy, July 11, 12, 13, 14, 2007. Sri Lanka won by an innings and 193 runs. Toss:
Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh could not avert a third successive innings defeat, their fourth in
succession, after more miserable batting. They carried the Test into a fourth day only
because rain severely interrupted the first two; in terms of overs, it was the shortest
Overseas Cricket
match of the series, and should have been done by lunch on day three. Bangladesh's
two innings occupied just 107.5 overs, meaning that their average partnership lasted
less than 33 balls.
Once again, the chief architect of their landslide defeat was Muralitharan. He started
needing 12 wickets for 700 in Test cricket; with perfect timing, he reached the landmark
with the last ball of the series, in his home town, Kandy. He finished with 12 for 82,
his 20th ten-wicket haul in Test cricket (Shane Warne is the only other bowler with
ten). The modest celebrations - a quick press conference in the VIP tea-room - showed
that Muralitharan was more focused on Warne's 708-wicket record.
Only 29 overs were possible on the first day, in three short spells after Mahela
Jayawardene had won his third consecutive toss. Between the breaks for rain and bad
light, Bangladesh slipped to 72 for four; Muralitharan claimed his first two victims
when Rajin Saleh edged a doosra to slip and Shahriar Nafees mistimed a drive to
mid-off.
On the second rain-marred day, when only intermittent play was possible, left-armer
Sujeewa de Silva prised out the last two specialist batsmen, Mohammad Ashraful
and Tushar Imran, bowling a tight line at a busy pace with just enough swing to find
the outside edge in his first Test for five years. Then Jayawardene tossed the ball to
Muralitharan, who opened his account for the day with a brilliant one-handed return
catch, and ended up with a bag of six.
The third and final day started with Bangladesh's best hour of the series with the
ball. After an early start to make up for lost time, Shahadat Hossain steamed in to
bowl a hostile spell, which went unrewarded, and Syed Rasel, in his first game of the
series, maintained an exemplary line and length while swinging the ball both ways;
he pinned Tharanga, back after a foot injury, lbw and bowled Vandort through the gate
to leave Sri Lanka 74 for two.
Thereafter, Bangladesh's fortunes nosedived. Jayawardene, in majestic form, snatched
back the initiative with a brace of boundaries and a pulled six off Shahadat. He was
the more expansive batsman early on, while Sangakkara played himself in assiduously.
But, as the sun dried off the early morning juice in the pitch, runs began to flow freely
and they matched each other stroke for stroke, Sangakkara bringing up his hundred
two overs after Jayawardene.
They had added 311 in four and a half hours when Jayawardene offered a simple
catch to mid-off, but Sangakkara pressed on to his sixth Test double-century, a feat
bettered only by Don Bradman (12), Brian Lara (9) and Wally Hammond (7). He
finished unbeaten on 222, from 277 balls in six hours 36 minutes, with 28 fours. Sri
Lanka had scored a staggering 470 in 98.2 overs during the day, and declared overnight
on 500 for four.
Needing 369 to make them bat again, Bangladesh started positively, reaching 106
for two on the fourth morning. But the last eight tumbled for 70 in the next session,
with two apiece for Malinga and de Silva before Muralitharan claimed Syed Rasel as
No. 700.
Man of the Match: M. Muralitharan. Man of the Series: M. Muralitharan.