Shadman Islam Defends Bangladesh Batting Lineup After Day 1 Setbacks Against Sri Lanka

Shadman Islam Stands by Bangladesh's Batters After Day One Struggle

Shadman Islam, the opening batsman for Bangladesh, voiced his support for the team's batting lineup following a lackluster performance on the first day of the second Test match against Sri Lanka.

Shadman led Bangladesh with a score of 46 on a rain-affected Day 1 © AFP

Despite several batsmen achieving starts, none were able to convert them into substantial scores, which Shadman attributed to questionable shot selection during the rain-affected day.

Shadman himself scored a team-high 46 runs. Other batsmen who made starts included Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31). Despite showing promise after weathering the initial challenges, they ultimately faltered.

"You can't score without taking risks. We took risks in Galle, and they resulted in boundaries. Perhaps today just wasn't our day," Shadman told reporters after the day's play.

When asked about the team's scoring tempo, Shadman responded, "There was no specific plan to score rapidly. Maybe some of the shot selections were incorrect, which is a natural part of cricket."

He further commented, "I felt the pitch was somewhat slow. There wasn't any significant movement in the morning, but we gave away our wickets. Hopefully, we will avoid repeating that in the second innings."

Shadman suggested the interruptions due to rain contributed to their underwhelming performance, as batsmen were forced to restart after losing their rhythm.

"Batsmen need to readjust after breaks, which could have been a factor."

"Nobody intentionally gets out. Perhaps it was simply an unfavorable day for us," he stated.

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

"I didn't observe anything to suggest the decision to bat first was incorrect. The pitch was a bit slow. I hope 270-280 is a decent score. If we bowl effectively, we can stage a comeback, Insha'Allah," he affirmed.

He added, "If we maintain good bowling areas, we can recover, as the pitch offers some assistance."

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

He mentioned that the surface's behavior was unlike anything he had experienced in his 15-year career as a player.

"The SSC wicket is quite unusual. Typically, you find consistent bounce here, but today it was somewhat inconsistent. The pace and bounce weren't as expected, and the ball came off the surface more slowly," said Kandamby.

"The fast bowlers displayed great character, securing crucial wickets and maintaining our position in the game," he said.

He added, "They (fast bowlers) have been focusing heavily on fitness and bowling workloads, and the coaches have been closely monitoring them. That effort is now visible," 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.