Dhaka, June 18 -- The Galle pitch seemed difficult. Pace bowlers were getting swing. Spinners were finding joy. And Bangladesh wobbled, losing three quick wickets at 45-3.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (136) and veteran Mushfiqur Rahim (105) came to the rescue, forging a titanic, unbeaten 247-run stand that took the Tigers to 292-3 at the end of Day 1 against Sri Lanka.

It was Shanto's sixth Test century and his second against Sri Lanka and on Sri Lankan soil. It was Mushfiqur's 12th Test ton, the fourth against Sri Lanka and the second on Sri Lankan soil.

It is the first time the two stalwarts have built a partnership that scored in the triple digits.

The partnership is also Bangladesh's second highest stand for the fourth wicket. Th...