The home side, forced to follow-on after being booked for a paltry 167 in their first innings, reached 123-4 in their second innings at stumps on second day. They will need a further 32 runs to make the tourists bat again.

Earlier, the visitors failed to add any run to their overnight 322-9 as their first innings folded in just three deliveries in the morning.

Although Shahriar Nafees hit a sparkling 80 not out, the HP Squad vice-captain received very little support from his teammates.

Opener Shamsur Rahman and number five Dhiman Ghosh each scored 19, the second best effort for the side.

Left-handed Nafees, who occupied the crease for two-and-a-half hours after coming to the wicket at 33-2, smashed seven fours and one six in his unbeaten 93-ball knock.

The local boys' first innings lasted just 45.4 overs as Dunil Abeydeera captured four wickets for 60 from ten overs.

Nafees, however, failed to repeat the same determination in the second essay. Coming to the wicket with the home side at a precarious 5-2, Nafees contributed 22 runs during a 49-run stand with Tushar Imran for the third wicket.

Reduced to 60-4, the HP Squad's hopes were pinned on out-of-favour one-day specialist Tushar, who remained not out on 59.

The right-hander, dismissed for two in the first innings, cracked eight boundaries in his 115-ball knock and added 63 runs for the unbroken fifth-wicket partnership with wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, who is batting on 29 off 73 deliveries.