CHITTAGONG: Kamindu Mendis came dangerously close to becoming the third Test century in as many innings as Sri Lanka amassed a record 531 runs in their opening innings against Bangladesh on Sunday. On the second day of the second Test in Chittagong, Sri Lanka scored the highest total in Test history without having a batsman reach a century.

Mendis was eight runs short of becoming just the fourth Sri Lankan player to score three hundreds in a row when last man Asitha Fernando was run out for a duck. He was at 92 not out. Mendis nearly accomplished the feat by hitting Taijul Islam for two sixes in an over. Mendis scored 102 and 164 in the first Test. Fernando tried desperately to change the strike, but he missed his crease.

Mendis, who was playing in just his third Test match, was joined in scoring fifty along with Dhananjaya de Silva (70), Dinesh Chandimal (59), Kusal Mendis (93), Dimuth Karunaratne (86), and Nishan Madhushka (57). After choosing to bat first, Sri Lanka forced Bangladesh to toil for almost two days, with Shakib Al Hasan finishing with a 3-110 total. With 314–4, Sri Lanka began the second day.

Before being dismissed in the post-lunch session, De Silva, like Mendis, who similarly scored 102 and 108 in the first Test, hinted at the possibility of scoring 300 runs in a row. After scoring 59 runs, Chandimal was the only batsman to be removed in the opening session; he edged Shakib behind the stumps. In the first over following lunch, Khaled Ahmed trapped De Silva leg before.

Had three slip fielders not hilariously dropped Prabath Jayasuriya at six, Khaled might have taken another wicket in his next over. After a review, the ruling that Mendis was caught behind on 35 off Mehidy Hasan Miraz was overturned. After Mendis was dropped by Hasan Mahmud at deep square leg on 60, Shakib ended his 65-run seventh wicket stand with Jayasuriya by hitting him plumb in front. The first Test in Sylhet was won by Sri Lanka by 328 runs.- AFP