Shadman Islam Defends Bangladesh Batting Lineup After Sri Lanka Test Setback

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

Shadman Islam played a patient innings, top-scoring with 46 runs. © AFP

Despite several Bangladesh batters managing to get a start, none were able to convert their innings into substantial scores. This was largely due to questionable shot selection, resulting in Bangladesh concluding the rain-affected day in a disappointing position.

Shadman himself led the way with a score of 46. Other contributions came from Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31). However, after initially weathering the storm, these players struggled to maintain their focus and ultimately succumbed to pressure.

"You can't score runs without taking risks. We played aggressively in Galle as well, and those shots resulted in boundaries. Unfortunately, today just wasn't our day," Shadman explained to reporters after the day's play.

When asked about the batting approach, Shadman clarified, "It wasn't necessarily about trying to score quickly. Perhaps some of the shots we played were ill-advised. But that's simply part of the game."

He further commented on the pitch conditions: "I felt the wicket was slightly slow. There wasn't much movement early on, but we gave away our wickets. Hopefully, we can avoid repeating that mistake in the second innings."

Shadman also pointed out that the frequent rain interruptions disrupted the batters' momentum, forcing them to rebuild their innings repeatedly. "Batters have to readjust after each break. Perhaps that played a role in our performance."

"No one deliberately gets out. It just might have been an unfortunate day for us," he added.

The opener also defended the captain's choice to bat first, asserting that a total of around 270 to 280 runs would be competitive on the slow surface at the SSC. "I don't see any reason to believe the decision to bat first was incorrect. The wicket is a bit slow. I'm hopeful that a score of 270-280 will be sufficient. If we bowl well, we can definitely bounce back, Insha'Allah," Shadman stated.

He concluded by saying, "If we can maintain good line and length while bowling, we have a good chance of making a comeback, as the wicket is offering some assistance."

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

"This is quite an unusual wicket for the SSC. Normally, you expect consistent bounce here, but today it was somewhat two-paced. The pace and bounce were inconsistent, and the ball wasn't coming off the surface as quickly as we anticipated," Kandamby said.

"The fast bowlers displayed great character. They took crucial wickets and kept us in the game," he added.

"They (fast bowlers) have been focusing intensely on their fitness and bowling workloads, and the coaches have been closely monitoring their progress. That effort is paying off now," he said, adding that he expects players currently out of form to regain their form soon.

"Prabath is currently experiencing a dip in form, but we have faith in his experience. I'm confident he will recover," he concluded.