Jayasuriya Five-For: Prabath Jayasuriya’s Brilliant Spell Seals Series Victory
The Jayasuriya Five-For performance by Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya was the definitive moment that tied the bow around Sri Lanka’s commanding innings-and-78-run victory over Bangladesh in the second Test in Colombo. Needing less than half an hour on the fourth morning to take the last four Bangladesh wickets, Sri Lanka wrapped up the match swiftly, securing the series 1-0 and bagging crucial World Test Championship (WTC) points. This emphatic win showcased Sri Lanka’s dominance at home, particularly their ability to rebound after the drawn first Test in Galle.
Prabath Jayasuriya did the bulk of the damage on Day 4, finishing with impressive figures of 5 for 56 in the second innings. This marked his 12th five-wicket haul in Test cricket, a testament to his consistent wicket-taking prowess at the highest level. His performance was particularly welcome as he had gone wicketless in the first innings and only picked up one scalp in Galle, making this a significant return to form for Sri Lanka’s lead spinner.
Clinical Morning Session and Wicket-Taking Efficiency
It took just three deliveries into Jayasuriya’s first over of the day for him to make an immediate impact. He found Litton Das’s edge on the forward defence, with wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis (who had been off the field the previous day nursing a sore shoulder, but returned impressively) holding onto a sharp chance. This crucial dismissal of Bangladesh’s last recognized batter effectively opened the floodgates. In his very next over, Jayasuriya had Nayeem Hasan attempting an ambitious drive to a tossed-up delivery that dipped and ripped past him. Nayeem, having slid his back foot out of the crease, was unable to get back before Mendis completed a swift stumping, further piling pressure on Bangladesh.
The Jayasuriya Five-For was completed when he pouched a return catch to his right, as Taijul Islam got a leading edge looking to work one through midwicket. Sri Lanka’s spinners then completed the rout: Tharindu Ratnayake got in on the act the very next over, trapping Ebadot Hossain in front of middle stump, sealing Bangladesh’s collapse just 34 balls into the morning session. In total, nine wickets fell in Bangladesh’s second innings to spin, with Tharindu Ratnayake and captain Dhananjaya de Silva sharing two apiece to complement Jayasuriya’s five.
Nissanka’s Stellar Series and Overall Dominance
While the spinners wrapped things up for the hosts, Pathum Nissanka was deservedly named Player of the Match for his outstanding match-winning 158 runs off 254 deliveries in Sri Lanka’s first innings. Nissanka continued his stellar form from the first Test (where he scored 187) and also clinched the Player of the Series award for his consistent run-scoring, amassing 369 runs across the two Tests. His century, along with Dinesh Chandimal’s 93 and Kusal Mendis’s 84, formed the backbone of Sri Lanka’s commanding total of 458, which gave them a hefty 211-run first-innings lead.
Bangladesh, no doubt, will feel this was a game they lost control of in their first innings itself. A sub-par batting effort to be bowled out for 247 on what was a reasonable batting surface, followed by some loose bowling, allowed Sri Lanka to take a commanding grip of proceedings. Despite some resilience from players like Shadman Islam (46) and Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Bangladesh failed to build substantial partnerships. Their second innings was even more disappointing, folding for just 133, with no batter managing a half-century in either innings of this Test.
The series win not only earned Sri Lanka crucial World Test Championship points but also provided a significant morale booster after their recent ODI series loss to Afghanistan. The Jayasuriya Five-For was a fitting end to a dominant performance, reaffirming Sri Lanka’s strength in home Test conditions.
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