Shadman Islam Defends Bangladesh Batting After Day 1 Setbacks Against 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 first day of the second Test match against Sri Lanka.

Shadman top-scored for Bangladesh with 46 on a rain-hit opening day © AFP

While several batsmen managed to get starts, none were able to convert them into substantial scores. Bangladesh concluded the rain-affected day with a performance that fell short of expectations due to questionable shot selections.

Shadman himself led the way with 46 runs. Other batsmen who got starts included Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31). Despite appearing poised to capitalize after weathering the initial challenges, they ultimately faltered.

"You cannot score runs without playing shots," Shadman stated to 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 further added, "Maybe some shots were wrong. It's part of cricket."

Shadman also pointed out the slow nature of the wicket: "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 also suggested that the interruptions due to rain played a role in the team's underwhelming performance, as batsmen were forced to restart 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 asserted that a score 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 also added, "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 his surprise at the wicket's behavior at the SSC. He noted that the surface behaved unlike anything he had experienced 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.

Kandamby praised the Sri Lankan fast bowlers, stating, "The fast bowlers really showed character. They picked up key wickets and kept us in the game." He further elaborated on their preparation: "They (fast bowlers) focused heavily on fitness and bowling workloads, and the coaches have monitored them closely. That work is showing now," adding that he expects Prabath to regain his form soon. "Prabath is slightly out of form, but we believe in his experience. I'm confident he'll bounce back," he said.