Bangladesh's Shadman Backs Batters After Day 1 Setbacks Against Sri Lanka

Shadman Islam, the opening batsman for Bangladesh, has voiced his support for the team's batting lineup following a subpar 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 achieving promising starts, they failed to convert them into significant scores, ultimately leading to a disappointing close to the first day, which was interrupted by rain.

Shadman himself scored the highest with 46 runs. Other batsmen such as Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31) also showed promise. However, after withstanding the initial pressure, they were unable to maintain their composure and capitalize on their opportunities.

"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," Shadman stated to reporters after the day's play.

When asked about their scoring pace, Shadman replied, "Nothing like that (trying to score at a good pace). Maybe some shots were wrong. It's part of cricket."

He further 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."

Shadman also pointed out that the interruptions due to rain had an impact on their performance, as the batsmen had to readjust after losing their momentum.

"The batters need to get set again after a break. Maybe it played a role."

"No one wants to get out intentionally. Maybe it was a bad day for us," he said.

Shadman also defended the captain's choice to bat first, asserting that a score of around 270 to 280 runs would be competitive on the slow pitch 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 said.

"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 his surprise at the wicket's behavior at the SSC.

He mentioned that the surface behaved unlike anything he had witnessed in his 15-year career.

"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 said.

"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.