It was a difficult day for the Bangladesh bowlers as Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka dominated proceedings on Day 3 of the first Test in Galle on Thursday. 

Nissanka piled on 187 and put together stands of 157 and 89 with Dinesh Chandimal (54) and Angelo Mathews (39), respectively, to propel the Lankans to 368-4, 127 away from Bangladesh's first innings total. Kamindu Mendis (37) and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (17) will take charge of Sri Lanka's first innings on the fourth day, with the Galle wicket still playing well for the batters.

Bangladesh managed to add 11 runs to their overnight total of 484-9 before Lankan pacer Asitha Fernando picked up his fourth wicket to bundle out the Tigers. 

Nissanka, alongside debutant Lahiru Udana, gave the hosts a solid start before the latter chipped it back to Taijul Islam after a well-made 29. 

Bangladesh bowlers had to toil hard for their second and had to wait for almost 40 overs before getting ab breakthrough. Off-spinner Nayeem Hasan had to get creative for the wicket of Chandimal as the right-arm bowler came around the wicket and got the batter to tuck it away to Shadman Islam who was stationed at leg slip.

After another difficult phase, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto turned to part-time left-arm spinner Mominul Haque for a breakthrough during the last session.

The move paid off quickly, with Mominul removing Mathews to break a 89-run partnership with Nissanka. Mathews, on 39, prodded forward to a slow, flighted delivery that turned and bounced, catching the edge of his bat. Wicketkeeper Litton Das completed the dismissal with a regulation catch behind the stumps.

With five overs to go till the close of play, Nissanka, batting on 187 -- his highest Test score, got yorked by pacer Hasan Mahmud, leaving the right-handed batter ruing the chance at a double century. 

Mominul dismisses Mathews in last session of Day 3

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto turned to part-time left-arm spinner Mominul Haque as the Tigers struggled for a breakthrough during the final session on Day 3 of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Thursday.

The move paid off quickly, with Mominul removing Angelo Mathews to break a crucial 89-run partnership with Pathum Nissanka. Mathews, on 39, prodded forward to a slow, flighted delivery that turned and bounced, catching the edge of his bat. Wicketkeeper Litton Das completed the dismissal with a sharp catch behind the stumps.

Mathews' wicket left Sri Lanka at 293 for 3.

Nayeem removes Chandimal as Tigers accord guard of honour to Mathews in his final Test

Just before the Tea break on Day 3 of Bangladesh's first Test against hosts Sri Lanka, off-spinner Nayeem Hasan got rid of Sri Lanka's Dinesh Chandimal to give the Tigers a crucial breakthrough and the players and umpires then lined up to accord all-rounder Angelo Mathews, playing his final Test, a guard of honour at the Galle International Stadium today. 

Sri Lanka moved to 233 for two in 60 overs, with Nissanka unbeaten on 126 and Mathews on 21 not out, as Tea break was taken.

Nayeem had right-hander Chandimal snick one back to leg slip as the Tigers ended a 157-run second-wicket stand between him and Pathum Nissanka, who brought up his third Test ton earlier. Chandimal scored 54 off 119 deliveries. 

With the surface in Galle having very little for bowlers, Bangladesh were struggling to get a wicket as Sri Lanka kept closing in on the visitors' first innings collection of 495. 

The fall of Chandimal, the only wicket in the session, saw Mathews walk out in the middle in his 119th and final Test. The all-rounder, who has scored 8167 Test runs at an average of 44.62, was given a guard of honour by the umpires and the Bangladesh players, who, however, tried to ratchet up the pressure on the new batter with aggressive field settings soon after his arrival. Mathews responded in a similar fashion, smashing a boundary and a maximum, to get into the groove.  

Nissanka completes third Test ton as Sri Lanka make Bangladesh bowlers toil

Opener Pathum Nissanka notched his third Test ton as hosts Sri Lanka are making Bangladesh bowlers toil hard on Day 3 of their first Test at the Galle International Stadium today. 

Nissanka pulled a Nahid Rana delivery for a single to get to his first Test ton at home off just 136 deliveries in the second session of the day. The right-handed batter has now stitched together a 134-run unbroken second-wicket stand with Dinesh Chandimal, as Sri Lanka moved to 181 for the loss of one wicket in 44 overs while in reply to Bangladesh's first innings score of 495. 

Chandimal is also getting closer to notching his 33rd Test fifty, as he remains unbeaten on 48. 

Sri Lanka upped the ante after Lunch, scoring over four an over on a batting-friendly surface in Galle.

Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam got the only wicket for the Tigers when he removed opener Lahiru Udara (29 off 34) early in the first session. However, since then, Sri Lanka regained control and kept on closing in on the Tigers' mammoth first innings total.   

Sri Lanka dominate first session on Day 3 against Bangladesh

Hosts Sri Lanka dominated the first session on Day 3 of their first Test against Bangladesh, taking their first innings score to 100 for the loss of one wicket in 27 overs at the Galle International Stadium today. 

Before Lunch was announced, opener Pathum Nissanka and Dinesh Chandimal stitched together a 53-run unbroken second-wicket stand, rebuilding the innings for the hosts after they had lost Lahiru Udara earlier.

Sri Lanka barely looked to be in any sort of trouble, except for the time Udara gave a catch back to Bangladesh's left-arm spinner Taijul Islam in the 13th over. Udara walked back after scoring 29 off 34 deliveries. 

That wicket was the only highlight for the Tigers, who, having started the day on 484 for nine, added just 11 runs to their overnight score to be bundled out for 495 in their first innings. 

Sri Lanka also got off to a decent start, with openers Nissanka and Udara smashing a host of boundaries in the initial overs, as they starred in a 47-run opening stand. 

Taijul removes Udara to give Tigers breakthrough after SL's decent start

Bangladesh's left-arm spinner Taijul Islam got the wicket of Sri Lanka opener Lahiru Udara early on Day 3 of the first Test to provide the Tigers a much-needed breakthrough following the hosts' decent start at the Galle International Stadium today. 

A tossed-up delivery from Taijul, and right-hander Udara tried to play it on the onside, but closed the face of the bat early and ended up giving a leading edge back to the bowler. 

Udara walked back after a 34-ball 29, after a 47-run opening stand with Pathum Nissanka, who remains unbeaten on 15 off 43 deliveries. Sri Lanka moved to 52 for one after 13 overs. 

Before the dismissal, Sri Lankan openers looked comfortable out in middle, mostly dealing in boundaries while in reply of Bangladesh's first innings score of 495. 

Openers deal in boundaries as SL get decent start against Bangladesh

Sri Lanka openers have been dealing in boundaries, giving the hosts a decent start in their first innings on Day 3 of the first Test against Bangladesh at the Galle International Stadium today. 

In reply to Bangladesh's first innings score of 495, Sri Lanka amassed 47 for no loss in 10 overs. Their openers -- Pathum Nissanka and Lahiru Udara -- smashed a total of eight boundaries so far, as the duo looked comfortable operating against both pacers and spinners. 

Nissanka moved to 15 off 35 deliveries, while Udara made 29 off 28 balls not out. 

Bangladesh pacers Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana could not trouble the Lankan batters much, as was the case for spinner Taijul Islam, who was introduced in the sixth over of the innings. 

Bangladesh survive just 16 deliveries on Day 3 as they score 495 in first innings

Bangladesh were bundled out for 495 in 153.4 overs in their first innings early on Day 3 of the first Test against hosts Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium today. 

Having started the day on 484 for nine, the two overnight Bangladesh batters -- Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana -- added 11 runs today, surviving just 16 deliveries. 

Bangladesh saw their innings get wrapped up when Nahid (0 off 8) gloved back an Asitha Fernando delivery down the leg side to be caught by wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis. Hasan remained unbeaten on seven off 15 deliveries. 

For Bangladesh, experienced batter Mushfiqur Rahim top-scored with  163, while skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto made 148. Wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das scored 90, missing out on his fifth Test ton by just 10 runs. 

Sri Lanka pacer Asitha claimed four wickets for 86 runs in 29.4 overs, while Milan Rathnayake and Tharindu Rathnayake took three wickets each.