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

Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam has voiced his support for the team's batting lineup following a less-than-stellar performance on the opening 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 them into substantial scores due to questionable shot selections, resulting in Bangladesh concluding a rain-affected day in a precarious position.

Shadman himself led the way with 46, while others like Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31) all displayed glimpses of potential. However, after weathering the initial challenges, they struggled to maintain their composure and capitalize on their opportunities.

"You can't accumulate runs without attempting shots. We executed shots in Galle as well, which resulted in boundaries. Unfortunately, today might not have been our day," Shadman explained to reporters after the day's play.

He dismissed any notions of deliberately trying to accelerate the scoring rate, stating, "It wasn't about trying to score quickly. Perhaps some shots were ill-advised. It's all part of the game."

Shadman added, "I felt the wicket was slightly sluggish. There wasn't much movement early on, but we gave away our wickets. Hopefully, we can rectify that in the second innings."

He also pointed out that the interruptions due to rain may have contributed to their underwhelming performance, as batsmen had to rebuild their innings after losing momentum.

"The batsmen need to readjust after each break. Perhaps it had an impact."

"Nobody aims to get out deliberately. Maybe it was simply a bad day for us," he conceded.

Furthermore, Shadman defended the captain's decision to bat first, asserting that a total of around 270 to 280 runs would represent a competitive score on the slow surface at the SSC.

"I didn't see any indication that the decision to bat first was incorrect. The wicket played a bit slow. I am optimistic that 270-280 will be a decent score. If we can bowl effectively, we can stage a comeback, Insha'Allah," he stated.

"If we can maintain disciplined bowling, we can bounce back, as the wicket is offering some assistance," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's bowling coach, Thilina Kandamby, confessed his surprise at the SSC pitch's behavior.

He remarked that the surface was behaving unlike anything he had experienced in his 15-year playing career.

"The SSC wicket is quite unusual. Usually, you find consistent bounce here, but today it was somewhat two-paced. The pace and bounce weren't consistent, and the ball came off the surface slower than we anticipated," Kandamby observed.

"The fast bowlers displayed great character. They secured crucial wickets and kept us in contention," he added.

"They (fast bowlers) have been prioritizing fitness and bowling workloads, and the coaches have been monitoring them closely. That dedication is now bearing fruit," he stated, expressing confidence that players currently out of form would soon regain their form.

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