With captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and senior batter Mushfiqur Rahim \u2014 both centurions in the first innings \u2014 at the crease, Bangladesh hold a slight edge going into the final day, but the match remains far from settled.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The day began with Sri Lanka hoping to snatch a first-innings lead after resuming at 430\/6. But Bangladesh\u2019s bowlers, led by the incisive Nayeem Hasan, had other plans. The hosts suffered a dramatic collapse, losing their final four wickets for just 15 runs to be bowled out for 485 \u2014 10, short of Bangladesh\u2019s 495.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Nayeem was the standout, picking up a well-deserved five-wicket haul (5-121), his fourth in Test cricket. He used the Galle surface expertly, tossing the ball up, dipping it, and exploiting rough patches to dismiss key batters including Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis (87), and Tharindu Ratnayake in quick succession.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kamindu had looked untroubled for much of the morning, extending a valuable 79-run seventh-wicket partnership with Milan Rathnayake (39), but Bangladesh\u2019s persistence paid off with a triple-strike burst before and after lunch. The final blow came when Nayeem bowled Asitha Fernando with a classic offspinner\u2019s delivery that turned sharply past the bat to end Sri Lanka\u2019s innings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With a slender 10-run lead, Bangladesh\u2019s second innings started cautiously but wobbled early as Anamul Haque fell for 4 and Mominul Haque departed for 14, both dismissed before tea. However, the visitors recovered well through a composed partnership between Shadman Islam and Najmul Hossain Shanto. Shadman was especially impressive, bringing up a gritty fifty before falling lbw to Milan Rathnayake for 76.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
While Bangladesh have batted with more control in their second innings, Galle\u2019s pitch \u2014 known for deteriorating rapidly \u2014 has kept both sides on edge. The bounce has become uneven, and spin is beginning to take centre stage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
That means while Bangladesh may aim to stretch their lead to around 300, they\u2019ll need to do so with urgency if they\u2019re to give themselves enough time to bowl Sri Lanka out again. But scoring too quickly could bring the familiar risk of a collapse \u2014 a pattern that has haunted both teams in this match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With seven wickets in hand and two experienced batters at the crease, Bangladesh will begin Day 5 with a chance to dictate terms.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Brief scores:<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With seven wickets in hand and two experienced batters at the crease, Bangladesh will begin Day 5 with a chance to dictate terms.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Also Read: <\/b> LIVE Cricket Score<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n