Bangladesh Opener Shadman Islam Rallies Behind Batters After Day 1 Struggles vs. Sri Lanka

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

Shadman leads **Bangladesh** with a score of 46 on rain-affected day. © AFP

Despite several batsmen making starts, none were able to convert them into substantial scores. This was partly due to questionable shot selection, as Bangladesh concluded the rain-affected day in a precarious position.

While Shadman led the way with a score of 46, other batsmen such as Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31) all showed promise, but failed to capitalize after weathering the initial challenges. Their concentration wavered, resulting in their dismissals.

"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 notion that the team was deliberately trying to score quickly, suggesting that some shot selections may have been errors. "Nothing like that (trying to score at a good pace). Maybe some shots were wrong. It's part of cricket," he stated.

Shadman also commented on the pitch conditions, saying, "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."

The opener also pointed out that the rain interruptions disrupted the batsmen's rhythm. "The batters need to get set again after a break. Maybe it played a role."

When questioned about the dismissals, Shadman responded, "No one wants to get out intentionally. Maybe it was a bad day for us."

He defended the captain's decision to bat first, asserting that a score in the vicinity 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 said.

"If we can bowl in good areas, then we can make a comeback as there's help on the wicket," he added, expressing optimism about Bangladesh's chances.

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

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

"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," Kandamby explained.

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

Kandamby added, "They (fast bowlers) focused heavily on fitness and bowling workloads, and the coaches have monitored them closely. That work is showing now,"

He also voiced his confidence in Prabath, who is currently out of form, saying, "Prabath is slightly out of form, but we believe in his experience. I'm confident he'll bounce back."