Shadman Islam Defends Bangladesh Batters After Day One Setbacks Against Sri Lanka

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

Shadman Islam led Bangladesh's batting with 46 runs on a rain-affected day © AFP

Despite several batsmen managing to get decent starts, none were able to convert them into substantial scores. Poor shot selection plagued the Bangladesh innings as they concluded a rain-interrupted day of play.

Shadman himself scored a team-high 46 runs. Other batsmen like Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31) all began promisingly, seemingly ready to capitalize after weathering the initial challenges. However, they ultimately faltered, losing their wickets.

"You cannot score runs without playing shots," Shadman told reporters 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 dismissed the idea that the batsmen were trying to score too quickly, saying, "Nothing like that (trying to score at a good pace). Maybe some shots were wrong. It's part of cricket."

Shadman also suggested that the pitch conditions played a role in the batsmen's struggles. "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 stated.

He further added that the rain interruptions may have contributed to their performance, as batsmen had to reset after losing their rhythm. "The batters need to get set again after a break. Maybe it played a role," he said. "No one wants to get out intentionally. Maybe it was a bad day for us."

Defending the captain's decision to bat first, Shadman expressed confidence that a score of around 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 said.

He concluded by saying, "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, admitted surprise at the pitch's behavior at the SSC. He noted the surface played unlike anything he had seen 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.

He praised his fast bowlers, saying, "The fast bowlers really showed character. They picked up key wickets and kept us in the game."

"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 expects players out of form to recover soon. "Prabath is slightly out of form, but we believe in his experience. I'm confident he'll bounce back," he concluded.