COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lanka struggled to 238-7 at stumps on the opening day of the second test against Bangladesh on Wednesday, with Dinesh Chandimal's unbeaten 86 providing some stability against an improved Bangladeshi bowling attack.
Bangladesh's bowlers dominated the first session of what is their country's 100th test match and took wickets at regular intervals. Left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman (2-32) and off spinner Mehedi Hasan (2-58) were the most successful bowlers for the visitors.
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first, but Bangladesh's bowlers reduced the hosts to 70-4 at lunch. Sri Lanka would have been bowled out cheaply if not for two crucial partnerships involving Chandimal.
After lunch Chandimal led the first recovery with a 66-run partnership with Dhananjaya de Silva (34). Sri Lanka slumped again after de Silva was bowled by left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and lost seven wickets for 195 before Chandimal combined with captain Rangana Herath for an unbroken 43-run partnership for the eighth wicket.
Herath was batting on 18 when bad light stopped play. Chandimal spent more than five hours at the crease and faced 210 deliveries and hit just four boundaries.
Niroshan Dickwella also scored 34.
Bangladesh batsman Sabbir Rahman told reporters after the match that their tactic of creating pressure by drying up runs yielded good results.
''Our plan was to cut out the runs, bowl dot balls. We created opportunities and then we held on to them. We will try to get the three remaining wickets quickly. It will put them under pressure.''
He said their team plan for the second day is to bowl Sri Lanka out under 300.
Earlier in the morning session, Bangladesh bowlers bowled tight lines and put the Sri Lankan openers under pressure.
Dimuth Karunaratne (7) slashed away from his body to a ball from left-arm seamer Rahman and was caught at gully by Hasan with the total on 13. Hasan (2-32) then dismissed Kusal Mendis (5), stumped by captain Mushfiqur Rahim, and had Upul Tharanga (11) caught at slip by Soumya Sarkar.
Both Mendis and Tharanga had scored centuries in Sri Lanka's win in the first test.
Seamer Subashis Roy trapped Asela Gunaratne lbw at the stroke of lunch.
Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford said that his team's batting didn't go to plan but said they are still in the match with the pitch expected to break up and assist spin bowling.
''It was brilliant to see how Chandi took on the challenge of holding the innings together and he showed how mature a player he's become,'' Ford said.
Bangladesh made four changes to the lineup which lost the series-opener, leaving out Mahmudullah Riyad, Mominul Haque, Taskin Ahmed and Liton Das from the first test.
Mossadek Hossain, who has played limited-overs international cricket, was handed a first test cap. Batsmen Imrul Kayes, Sabbir Rahman and Islam have all been recalled to the starting XI.
Sri Lanka left out fast bowler Lahiru Kumara because of injury and added an extra batsman in de Silva.
Sri Lanka leads the two-match series after a 259-run win at Galle last week.
