DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP):

SRI LANKA spinner Muttiah Muralitharan took five wickets to reduce Bangladesh to 177 for nine in their first-innings run chase in the first Test yesterday.

Resuming at 95 for four at tea, Bangladesh added only 82 runs and lost five more wickets because of Muralitharan's aggressive attack before the game was stopped because of bad light with seven overs in hand.

Bangladesh were chasing Sri Lanka's first innings total of 293.

In the last session, Muralitharan dismissed Shakib Al Hasan (27) when he was caught by Mahela Jayawardene, and then had Mashrafe bin Mortaza (0) lbw the next ball after tea.

He also claimed Shahadat Hossain (five), stumped by Prasanna Jayawardena.

Dammika Prasad struck first after tea and bowled Rokibul Hossain (11) as the ball hit the top of the off stump before Hossain could manage to get his bat even halfway down to cover the line.

Stubborn partnership broken

Rangana Herath dismissed Mehrab Hossain (28), who gave a catch to Mahela Jayawardene to end his sixth-wicket partnership with Hasan that showed a bit of resistance by producing 41 runs.

After a steady opening partnership of 44 before tea, Muralitharan removed opener Tamim Iqbal (17), who lunged for a defensive stroke but got hit on the glove and gave the catch to Malinda Warnapura at short leg.

Paceman Chaminda Vaas dismissed Imrul Kayes (33), who was caught at slip by Jayawardena off a short delivery, and then had Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful (12) caught at cover point by Tillakaratne Dilshan. The latter was Vaas' 350th wicket in Test cricket.

Befuddled by 'doosra'

Muralitharan then bowled Junaid Siddique (29), who dragged Murali's trademark 'doosra' on to the stumps just before the tea break, as the hosts lost four wickets for just 50 runs.

Bangladesh spinner Hasan earlier completed a five-wicket haul.

Thilan Samaraweera scored 91 runs to help Sri Lanka push on from a precarious 172 for six at the start of play to a respectable total.

Samaraweera and Vaas refused to bow down in the morning session, adding 98 runs before the first wicket fell.

Mortaza made the breakthrough, taking the new ball and getting Vaas (37) caught behind by Mushfiqur Rahim.

The Sri Lanka tail folded quickly after Vaas' departure, losing the last four wickets for 23 runs.

Hasan got Dammika Prasad (three) lbw for his fourth scalp. Rangana Herath was run out when backing up too far at the bowler's end and Hasan (5-70) then ended the innings as he got Samaraweera to nick a ball to first slip where Siddique made the catch.

Samaraweera's 91 came off 141 balls and included 13 fours.