Shadman Islam Defends Bangladesh Batting Lineup After Day 1 Stumbles vs. Sri Lanka

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

Shadman Islam scores 46 runs for Bangladesh on a rain-affected day. © AFP

Despite several batsmen managing to get decent starts, none were able to capitalize and convert those starts into substantial scores. This was largely attributed to questionable shot selection, resulting in Bangladesh concluding the rain-affected day in a less than ideal position.

Shadman himself led the way with a score of 46. Other batsmen who got starts included Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31). While these players showed promise after weathering the initial pressure, they ultimately succumbed to lapses in concentration.

"You cannot score runs without playing shots," Shadman stated to reporters following the day's play. "We played shots in Galle as well, where those ended in boundaries. But unfortunately, maybe it was not our day today."

When asked about the perceived intent to score at a rapid pace, Shadman responded, "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. Hopefully, we won't do that in the second innings."

Shadman also suggested that the interruptions due to rain had a negative impact on their performance, as batsmen were forced to rebuild their innings after losing momentum.

"The batters need to get set again after a break. Maybe it played a role," he explained. "No one wants to get out intentionally. Maybe it was a bad day for us."

The opener defended his captain's choice to bat first, maintaining 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," he asserted.

"If we can bowl in good areas, then we can make a comeback as there's help on the wicket," Shadman concluded.

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

He commented that the surface behaved differently from what he had typically experienced throughout his 15-year playing 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 added.

Kandamby also highlighted the team's focus on fitness and workload management for the fast bowlers. "They (fast bowlers) focused heavily on fitness and bowling workloads, and the coaches have monitored them closely. That work is showing now," he said, expressing 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.