COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (Reuters):

BANGLADESH'S BATSMEN mounted a brave fightback against Sri Lanka but still faced a probable innings defeat as they closed the third day of the first Test on 233 for five yesterday.

Opener Javed Omar led Bangladesh's resistance with 62 as the tourists, bundled out for a feeble 89 in the first innings, forced Sri Lanka's bowlers to toil hard for their wickets on a docile pitch.

Bangladesh started the day on 3-0 in their second innings, facing a daunting task with 485 runs required to avert an innings defeat and finished still 255 runs in arrears with two days remaining.

The tourists played particularly well in the first two sessions, losing only Shahriar Nafees (38) during the morning and then Omar and Habibul Bashar (17) in the afternoon, but Sri Lanka's spinners hit back in the evening session.

Part-time spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan halted Rajin Saleh's (51) four-hour resistance with a flighted delivery that was edged to slip.

Captain Mohammad Ashraful (37) self-destructed just minutes before the close, lofting a catch straight to Chaminda Vaas at long on off Muttiah Muralitharan.

When play was called off early due to bad light, Shakib Al Hasan was four not out and wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud was on nought.

Record

Omar and Nafees started the fightback with a positive 86-run opening stand, a record for Bangladesh against Sri Lanka.

Off-spinner 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 action and was keen to score at every opportunity, as he showed with three boundaries in a Vaas over soon after the start of play.

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

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.

Sri Lanka then had to wait 35.2 overs for their next breakthrough as Saleh and Ashraful added 67 runs in a slow-scoring partnership.

The hosts grew increasingly frustrated, especially star spinner Muralitharan who was forced to work unusually hard for his wickets, finishing with 2-82 from 34 overs.

Dilhara Fernando wicketless, was the pick of the fast bowlers, generating pace and getting the ball to swing during two fiery bursts.