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

Bangladesh's Shadman Islam has voiced his support for the team's batting lineup following a lackluster showing on the opening 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. Poor shot selection plagued the Bangladesh innings as they closed the first day, which was interrupted by rain.

Shadman led the way with 46 runs. Other players such as Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31) all managed to get themselves set, but ultimately failed to capitalize on their starts.

"You cannot score runs without playing shots," Shadman stated 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 added, "Nothing like that (trying to score at a good pace). Maybe some shots were wrong. It's part of cricket."

Shadman also noted 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 believes the rain interruptions played a role in the team's underwhelming performance, disrupting the batters' momentum. "The batters need to get set again after a break. Maybe it played a role," Shadman explained. "No one wants to get out intentionally. Maybe it was a bad day for us."

The opener defended his captain's decision to bat first, maintaining that a score of around 270 to 280 would be competitive on the slow surface. "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 asserted. "If we can bowl in good areas, then we can make a comeback as there's help on the wicket."

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's bowling coach, Thilina Kandamby, expressed surprise at the pitch's behavior, saying that it was uncharacteristic of the SSC. "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 the efforts of his fast bowlers. "The fast bowlers really showed character. They picked up key wickets and kept us in the game," he stated.

Kandamby added, "They (fast bowlers) focused heavily on fitness and bowling workloads, and the coaches have monitored them closely. That work is showing now," and expressed confidence in Prabath Jayasuriya's return to form. "Prabath is slightly out of form, but we believe in his experience. I'm confident he'll bounce back," he concluded.