Bangladesh's Shadman Defends Batters After Day 1 Stumbles Against Sri Lanka

Shadman Islam, the opening batsman for Bangladesh, has voiced his support for the team's batting order after a less than stellar showing 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 making promising starts, none could convert their innings into significant scores. This was largely attributed to questionable shot selection, as Bangladesh concluded the rain-affected day in a somewhat precarious position.

Shadman himself led the way with 46, while others, including Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31), all managed to get their eye in. However, after weathering the initial challenges, they struggled to maintain their focus and ultimately succumbed to the pressure.

"You can't score runs without attempting shots," Shadman explained to reporters after play. "We played attacking shots in Galle as well, and they often resulted in boundaries. Unfortunately, today might not have been our day."

He dismissed suggestions that the team was trying to score too quickly, stating, "It wasn't about trying to score at a rapid pace. Perhaps some of the shot selections were incorrect. It's all part of the game."

Shadman added, "I felt the pitch was a touch slow. There wasn't much movement early on, but we gave away our wickets. Hopefully, we can avoid repeating that in the second innings."

He also pointed out that the interruptions caused by rain may have disrupted the batters' rhythm, forcing them to rebuild their innings repeatedly. "Batters need to reset after each break, and that might have played a role," Shadman observed. "No one gets out on purpose. It simply might have been a bad day for us."

Furthermore, Shadman defended the captain's decision to bat first. He believes that a total of around 270 to 280 would be a competitive score on the slow surface at the SSC ground. "I didn't see anything to suggest that the decision to bat first was incorrect. The wicket was a bit slow," he stated. "I'm hoping 270-280 will be a decent score. If we bowl well, we can bounce back, Insha'Allah."

"If we maintain good line and length, we have a chance to fight back, as the wicket is offering some assistance," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's bowling coach, Thilina Kandamby, admitted his surprise at the pitch's behavior at the SSC, noting that it was unlike anything he had experienced in his 15-year playing career.

"The surface at the SSC is quite unusual. Normally, you expect true bounce here, but today it was a bit two-paced. The pace and bounce were inconsistent, and the ball came off the surface slower than we anticipated," said Kandamby.

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

"They (fast bowlers) have been focusing heavily on their fitness and bowling workloads, and the coaches have been closely monitoring their progress. That hard work is now paying off," he said, expressing confidence that Prabath, who is currently out of form, will soon regain his touch.

"Prabath is slightly out of form, but we have faith in his experience. I am confident he will bounce back," Kandamby stated.