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

Shadman Islam Stands by Bangladesh Batters After Challenging First Day

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 making promising starts, none were able to convert them into significant scores, a consequence of questionable shot selection, as Bangladesh concluded the first day marred by rain.

Shadman emerged as the top scorer with 46 runs. Other batsmen also showed promise such as Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), Mehidy Hasan (31). However, after weathering the initial challenges, they struggled to maintain their composure and capitalize on their opportunities.

"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."

When asked about their scoring rate, Shadman replied, "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 but hopefully we won't do that in the second innings."

Shadman pointed out that the interruptions due to rain contributed to their subpar performance, as batsmen had to readjust after breaks in momentum.

"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 stated.

Shadman also defended the captain's decision to bat first. He asserted that a score 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 by saying, "If we can bowl in good areas, then we can make a comeback as there's help on the wicket."

On the other side, Sri Lanka's bowling coach, Thilina Kandamby, expressed his surprise at the wicket's behavior at the SSC.

He mentioned that the SSC surface behaved unlike anything he had witnessed during 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.

"The fast bowlers really showed character. They picked up key wickets and kept us in the game," he said.

He further added, "They (fast bowlers) focused heavily on fitness and bowling workloads, and the coaches have monitored them closely. That work is showing now," expressing optimism for players to regain their form soon.

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