NEW DELHI: Middle-order batsman Kamindu Mendis and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva scored centuries as Sri Lanka thrashed Bangladesh by 328 runs on the fourth day of the opening Test on Monday, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
After setting Bangladesh a gigantic winning target of 511 after Kamindu struck 164 and De Silva 108 in the second innings in Sylhet, Sri Lanka bowled out the hosts for 182 in 49 overs.
On the third day, Kamindu and De Silva put on a 173-run partnership as Sri Lanka made 418 all out, marking only the third time in history that the same pair had two 150-plus partnerships in a single Test match.
Bangladesh lost half of their team on Sunday with only 47 on the board - still requiring 464 for victory - then folded after a late fightback on the fourth day, with Kasun Rajitha taking 5-56 and Vishwa Fernando taking 3-36.
Mominul Haque provided the fight with an unbeaten 87 but was unable to prevent the inevitable.
Earlier in the contest, Kamindu and De Silva scored 102 runs each on a difficult surface as Sri Lanka were bowled for 280 on the first day.
After Bangladesh's Khaled Ahmed and Nahid Rana grabbed six wickets, Sri Lanka's seam bowlers shone, ripping through the hosts for a 92-run lead.
Fernando took four wickets, with Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara taking three each, before Dimuth Karunaratne's 36th Test half-century enabled the tourists extend their lead late in the second day.
The second Test will commence on March 30 at Chattogram.
(With inputs from Reuters)
