Omar leads Bangladesh first test fightback

COLOMBO, June 27 (Reuters) Opener Javed Omar led Bangladesh's resistance with 62 as the tourists reached tea on 188 for three on the third day of the first test against Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh started the day on 3-0 in their second innings facing a daunting task with 485 runs required to avert an innings defeat.

However, they battled hard and lost only Shahriar Nafees (38) during the morning and then Omar and Habibul Bashar (17) in the afternoon, narrowing the deficit to 300.

Number three batsman Rajin Saleh was 33 not out at the break with skipper Mohammad Ashraful on 19.

Sri Lanka's fast bowlers were forced to toil hard on a docile pitch as Omar and Nafees shared an 86-run opening stand, a record for Bangladesh against Sri Lanka.

Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan finally broke through shortly before lunch, holding on to a sharp return catch as Nafees used his feet and tried to loft straight down the ground.

Omar was solid in defence during his 118-ball rearguard and keen to score at every opportunity, as he showed with three boundaries in a Chaminda Vaas over soon after the start of play.

But after bringing up his eighth test 50, the right-hander was trapped lbw by a vicious reverse-swinging yorker from Lasith Malinga.

Chaminda Vaas also got the old ball to reverse swing and successfully found the outside edge of Basher's bat with a full-length delivery that tempted him into a cover drive.

Dilhara Fernando was the pick of the bowlers in the morning, generating pace and getting the ball to swing during a fiery nine-over burst.

Bangladesh have lost all seven of their previous tests against Sri Lanka.

Reuters BJR GC1602