Shadman Islam Stands By Bangladesh Batters After Day 1 Stumble Against Sri Lanka

By Atif Azam

Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam has voiced his support for the team's batting lineup following a lackluster performance on the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka.

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

Despite several batsmen making starts, none were able to convert them into substantial scores, a consequence of questionable shot selection, as Bangladesh concluded the rain-affected day.

Shadman led the way with 46 runs, while other batsmen, including Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31), all got starts. After weathering the initial challenges, they seemed poised to capitalize but ultimately faltered.

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

He dismissed the idea that the team was attempting to score at an accelerated pace. "Nothing like that (trying to score at a good pace). Maybe some shots were wrong. It's part of cricket," he said.

Shadman added, "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 suggested that the interruptions caused by rain impacted their performance, as batsmen were forced to readjust after breaks, disrupting their momentum.

"The batters need to get set again after a break. Maybe it played a role," he explained. "No one wants to get out intentionally. Maybe it was a bad day for us."

Shadman also defended the captain's choice to bat first, maintaining that a total of around 270 to 280 runs 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.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's bowling coach, Thilina Kandamby, expressed surprise at the behavior of the pitch at the SSC.

He commented that the surface behaved unlike anything he had witnessed in his 15-year career as a player.

"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.

"The fast bowlers really showed character. They picked up key wickets and kept us in the game," he added.

"They (fast bowlers) focused heavily on fitness and bowling workloads, and the coaches have monitored them closely. That work is showing now," he said adding that he is expecting out of form to come back good sooner than later.

"Prabath is slightly out of form, but we believe in his experience. I'm confident he'll bounce back," he said.