Shadman Islam Stands by Bangladesh Batters After Day 1 Setbacks Against Sri Lanka Hoặc: Bangladesh's Shadman Islam Defends Batting Lineup After Dismal Day 1 vs. Sri Lanka

Shadman Islam, the opening batsman for Bangladesh, has voiced his support for the team's batting lineup following a lackluster 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 managing to get starts, none were able to convert them into substantial scores. Poor shot selection contributed to Bangladesh's struggle on a rain-affected Day 1.

Shadman himself scored a team-high 46 runs. Other batsmen who got starts included Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31). While they initially appeared poised to capitalize after weathering the early pressure, they ultimately faltered.

"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 suggestions that the team was trying to score at an accelerated pace. "Maybe some shots were wrong. It's part of cricket," he stated.

Shadman 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."

He also suggested that the rain interruption impacted their performance, forcing batsmen to readjust after breaks in play. "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.

Furthermore, Shadman defended the captain's decision to bat first, asserting that a score of around 270 to 280 runs 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, "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, expressed surprise at the wicket's behavior at the SSC.

He noted that the surface behaved unlike anything he had witnessed in 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.

"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.