Bangladesh need to score 511 runs to win the Sylhet Test

Today is the third day of the Sylhet Test. Sri Lanka, with a lead of 211 runs and 5 wickets in hand from the previous day, resumed batting today. This brought only disappointment for the Tigers. For Bangladesh, Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis turned their second innings into a record-breaking partnership, similar to their first innings performance. Despite Dhananjaya's departure after his century, Bangladesh bowlers couldn't stop Kusal Mendis before he scored a personal 164 runs. Sri Lanka ended their innings at 418 runs, setting a target of 511 runs for Bangladesh.

Bangladesh managed to take 5 wickets of Sri Lanka by the end of the evening session of the previous day. Today, the only dismissal came from the wicket of nightwatchman Vishwa Fernando in the morning session. Yesterday's successful lead was further extended by captain Dhananjaya and Kusal Mendis in a record-breaking partnership. The Sylhet Test seems to be entirely in Sri Lanka's favor. Sri Lanka's score of 418 runs in the second innings puts Bangladesh under immense pressure with a target of 511 runs.

Nightwatchman Vishwa Fernando returned quickly today. Then, Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis built a partnership of 173 runs. Their partnership seemed like a mountain for the Bangladesh team. Playing their second Test match, Kusal Mendis broke records with consecutive centuries.

Between overs 38.5 and 84.2, Bangladesh managed to take a wicket. Mehidy Hasan Miraz brought the much-needed breakthrough. Dhananjaya, after breaking records with his partnership, lost his wicket, scoring a personal 108 runs, breaking a partnership worth 173 runs. Following Dhananjaya's path, Kusal Mendis also departed. He scored a brilliant 50 runs off 69 balls, then steadily aimed for his second consecutive century. He scored a remarkable back-to-back century in 170 balls.

Before them, only twice in Test cricket had two players from the same team scored centuries in both innings of the same match. Dhananjaya and Kusal Mendis scripted this record for the first time since the Chapel brothers in 1974. Then, in 2014, Pakistan's Azhar Ali and Misbah-ul-Haq shared this record against Australia.