Taskin takes a nap, Herath doesn't

There were several dropped catches, but the spill in Sri Lanka's 42nd over and its aftermath verged on farce. Kumar Sangakkara cut a ball straight to Mominul Haque at point, but though the ball came at chest height, Mominul couldn't hold on. He then became aware of a run-out chance at the bowler's end however, and he shied at the stumps unsuccessfully, only to find there was no one backing up. Taskin Ahmed at long on had his attention elsewhere and didn't see the ball heading towards him. On most other grounds, that overthrow might have crossed the fence, but thanks to the MCG's dimensions, Taskin was able to eventually wake up and keep the batsmen to three.

You can spend hours watching videos, dissecting, and planning against opposition players, but none of this matters if opportunities are not taken. Most teams will know Lahiru Thirimanne is vulnerable outside off stump early in his innings, and though Mashrafe Mortaza bowled two perfect deliveries to exploit this weakness in the first over, Bangladesh were still left empty handed. He beat Thirimanne by angling his third ball across the batsman, but when he pitched closer to take a thick edge next ball, Anamul Haque at slip grassed the simple chance. Thirimanne continued to give chances throughout his innings, but when he was eventually out for 52, Sri Lanka had a fine foundation.

Perhaps no player complains as much to umpires as Mahela Jayawardene in recent years, but this time he had some friends come with him. Mominul seemed to play and miss at a Suranga Lakmal delivery in the seventh over, but despite a lack of an initial appeal from Sri Lanka, they later asked for a review. The replay was not conclusive, but when the not-out decision was upheld without snicko's input, Jayawardene led a group of Sri Lanka players who crowded the umpire for an explanation. Snicko, it appeared, was unavailable due to technical reasons. As a result, Sri Lanka's review was eventually reinstated.

Sri Lanka players never practice the reverse cup catch - with the fingers pointed upwards. From school to club to national team, Rangana Herath would have been taught the conventional method of taking catches, with palms and fingers forming an upturned cup. But at the same ground he took perhaps his most sensational catch, in the Boxing Day Test of 2012, Herath shocked even himself when he pulled off a reverse-cup grab - by necessity, rather than choice. Mahmudullah top-edged a pull shot off Thisara Perera in the 21st over, and Rangana Herath scurried in from fine leg, tracking the high ball. He had his hands forming the conventional cup, but at the last second realised he had slightly overrun it. He stopped dead, instantly formed the reverse cup, and snaffled the ball, falling forward, relief writ on his face.