Bangladesh's Shadman Backs Under-Fire Batters After Day One Stumble vs. Sri Lanka

Shadman Islam, the opening batsman for Bangladesh, has voiced his support for the team's batting lineup following a less than stellar performance on the first day of the second Test match against Sri Lanka.

Shadman top-scored for Bangladesh with 46 on a rain-hit opening day © AFP

Despite several batsmen managing to get a start, none were able to convert their innings into significant scores. Poor shot selection was a major factor as Bangladesh concluded the rain-affected day.

Shadman led the scoring with 46 runs. Other batsmen who showed promise but failed to capitalize include Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31). After weathering the initial pressure, they seemed poised to take control but ultimately lost their wickets.

"You can't score runs without playing shots," Shadman told reporters after play. "We played shots in Galle too where those ended in boundaries. But unfortunately, maybe it was not our day today."

He dismissed suggestions that they were trying to score too quickly. "Maybe some shots were wrong. It's part of cricket," he added.

Shadman also commented on the pitch conditions, saying, "I think the wicket was a little bit slow. There was no movement in the morning, but we threw our wickets away, but hopefully, we won't do that in the second innings."

He further suggested that the interruptions due to rain contributed to their subpar performance, as batsmen had to readjust after losing momentum. "The batters need to get set again after a break. Maybe it played a role."

"No one wants to get out intentionally. Maybe it was a bad day for us," he said.

Shadman defended the captain's decision to bat first, asserting that a score of around 270 to 280 would be competitive on the slow surface at the SSC.

"No, I haven't seen anything like that from which we can say that the decision was wrong [opting to bat first]. The wicket was a bit slow. I hope 270-280 is a good score. If we can bowl well, we will make a comeback Insha'Allah," he stated.

"If we can bowl in good areas, then we can make a comeback as there's help on the wicket," he added optimistically.

Sri Lanka's Perspective

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's bowling coach, Thilina Kandamby, expressed his surprise at the pitch's behavior at the SSC. He noted that the surface played unlike anything he had experienced in his 15-year career.

"It's quite an unusual wicket at the SSC. Normally, you get true bounce here, but today it was a bit two-paced. The pace and bounce weren't consistent, and the ball came off the surface slower than we expected," said Kandamby.

He praised his fast bowlers, stating, "The fast bowlers really showed character. They picked up key wickets and kept us in the game."

"They (fast bowlers) focused heavily on fitness and bowling workloads, and the coaches have monitored them closely. That work is showing now," he said. He also expressed confidence in Prabath, who is currently out of form, saying, "Prabath is slightly out of form, but we believe in his experience. I'm confident he'll bounce back."