DHAKA, Dec 26: All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan claimed three wickets as Bangladesh left Sri Lanka stuttering at 172 for six before bad light stopped play early on the opening day of the first Test on Friday.

Shakib, who bowls left-arm spin, added Tillekeratne Dilshan to his tally in the final session after scalping Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene before tea to return with three for 43, while Shahadat Hossain chipped in with 2-47.

Sangakkara scored 43 runs before he was caught at midwicket by Mohammad Ashraful ending a 95-run stand with Michael Vandort.

Sri Lanka added two more runs before Shahadat removed Vandort for 44, the opener caught by Shakib after he had mistimed a pull shot.

Shakib then bowled captain Mahela Jayawardene for three as a trio of Sri Lankan wickets fell for just 16 runs.“There was not that much turn at the wicket. I just tried to put the ball in one area and got some success,” Shakib told reporters.

Despite the collapse, Sri Lanka believe the match is still hanging in the balance and they can get a respectable total.

“It is still evenly poised. A 300-plus total is still very much possible,” said Vandort.

The visitors had resumed after lunch on 27-1 with opener Malinda Warnapura the only casualty of the fog-delayed morning session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Warnapura was trapped lbw by pace bowler Mashrafe Mortaza for 14 shortly after Bangladesh wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim was injured when he dropped the opener off the same bowler.

Mushfiqur bruised his forehead attempting the catch and left the ground immediately with Junaid Siddique taking his place behind the stumps. He returned after lunch and missed another difficult chance, this time offered by Sangakkara off pacer Mahbubul Alam when the batsman was on 11.

Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat after thick fog delayed the start of the match by one hour and 45 minutes.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA (1st Innings):

M.G. Vandort c Shakib b Shahadat 44

B.S.M. Warnapura lbw b Mashrafe 14

K.C. Sangakkara c Ashraful b Shakib 43

D.P.M.D. Jayawardene b Shakib 3

T.T. Samaraweera not out 20

T.M. Dilshan b Hasan 14

P. Jayawardene c Tamim b Shahadat 6

W.P.U.J.C. Vaas not out 0

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-7, W-11, NB-6) 28

TOTAL (for six wkts, 57.4 overs) 172

FALL OF WKTS: 1-24, 2-119, 3-121, 4-135, 5-155, 6-171.

TO BAT: H.M.R.K.B. Herath, K.T.G.D. Prasad, M. Muralitharan.

BOWLING (to-date): Mashrafe Mortaza 13-1-48-1 (5nb, 10w); Mahbubul Alam 13-4-23-0; Shahadat Hossain 13.4-2-47-2 (1nb, 1w); Shakib Al Hasan 18-3-43-3.

BANGLADESH: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful, Raqibul Hasan, Mehrab Hossain Jr, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shahadat Hossain, Mahbubul Alam.

UMPIRES: S.A. Bucknor (West Indies) and N.J. Llong (England).

TV UMPIRE: Enamul Haque (Bangladesh).

MATCH REFEREE: J.J. Crowe (New Zealand).—Agencies