SL vs BAN: Top five performers from the 2-match Test series

Sri Lanka sealed the two-match Test series against Bangladesh 1-0 with an emphatic 209-run win in the final Test at the Pallekele International Stadium at Kandy. After the first Test ended in a draw, both the teams had a chance to clinch the decider and the hosts managed that quite convincingly, winning the game by a considerable margin. Here are the top performers of the series:

5. Taskin Ahmed (Bangladesh)

The first Test of the series produced over 1200 runs in 14 sessions. Taskin Ahmed, who got three wickets for 114 in the first game, ended up with a total of five in the second as he got 4/127 and 1/26. His series tally read 8 wickets at an average of 33.12 and strike rate of 51.2. He finished as the joint second-highest wicket-taker of the series behind Praveen Jayawickrama.

4. Lahiru Thirimanne (Sri Lanka)

Lahiru Thirimanne played a crucial role in leading Sri Lanka to a massive first inning score in the second Test as he notched up his third Test century (140 off 298). In the first Test, he had gotten a half-century and he ended with 200 runs at an impressive average of 66.66.

3. Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh)

The Bangladeshi opener finished the series as the second-highest run-getter with 3 half-centuries. Iqbal was dismissed twice in the 90s, with his scores in the series reading 90 and 74* (1st Test) and 92 and 24 (2nd Test). He scored 280 runs at a brilliant average of 93.33, only behind Dimuth Karunaratne both in terms of average and runs in the series.

2. Praveen Jayawickrama (Sri Lanka)

☝️ Praveen Jayawickrama – 6/92 and 5/86
☝️ Ramesh Mendis – 2/86 and 4/103

A terrific performance from this young spinning duo in the second #SLvBAN Test ? pic.twitter.com/1riqrybPic

— ICC (@ICC) May 3, 2021

The 22-year-old made a sensational debut in the second Test, where he ended up bagging 11 wickets to record best figures for a debutant in Test cricket for Sri Lanka. He surpassed Akila Dananjaya’s record of bagging 8 wickets against Bangladesh in 2018 at Dhaka. Despite playing only one Test, Jayawickrama ended with the most wickets in the series. He claimed 6/92 in the first innings and 5/86 in the second innings.

1. Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka)

The Sri Lankan skipper was in top-notch form during the entire series and finished with 428 runs at a staggering average of 142.66, 2 centuries, and a half-century. He batted for a record 698 minutes in the first, scoring 244 off 437 balls, and then followed with scores of 118 and 66 in the second Test.