Shadman Islam Supports Bangladesh Batters After Day 1 Struggles Against Sri Lanka

Shadman Islam, the opening batsman for Bangladesh, has voiced his support for the team's batting lineup following a somewhat underwhelming 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 Bangladeshi batters managing to get decent starts, none were able to capitalize and convert them into substantial scores. This was largely due to questionable shot selection, ultimately leading to Bangladesh concluding the rain-affected day in a less than ideal position.

While Shadman himself led the scoring with 46, other batsmen such as Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31) all showed promise but failed to maintain their composure and build on their starts after overcoming the initial challenges.

Key Quotes from Shadman Islam

• "You cannot score runs without playing shots. We played shots in Galle too where those ended in boundaries. But unfortunately, maybe it was not our day today."
• "Nothing like that (trying to score at a good pace). Maybe some shots were wrong. It's part of cricket."
• "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."

Shadman also pointed out that the interruptions due to rain played a role in the team's performance, as batsmen had to readjust and rebuild their momentum after each break. "The batters need to get set again after a break. Maybe it played a role," he stated.

He further defended the captain's decision to bat first, asserting that a score in the range of 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," Shadman explained.

Sri Lanka's Perspective

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's bowling coach, Thilina Kandamby, expressed surprise at the pitch conditions at the SSC. He mentioned that the wicket's behavior was unusual compared to his 15 years of playing experience.

Kandamby elaborated, "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."

He did, however, commend the Sri Lankan fast bowlers for their efforts. "The fast bowlers really showed character. They picked up key wickets and kept us in the game," he said. He also expressed confidence in Prabath to regain his form soon. "Prabath is slightly out of form, but we believe in his experience. I'm confident he'll bounce back," Kandamby added.