Shadman Islam Defends Bangladesh Batters After Sri Lanka Test Setback, Blames Poor Shot Selection

Bangladesh's Shadman Islam 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 achieving promising starts, none were able to capitalize and convert them into substantial scores. This was largely due to questionable shot selection, which ultimately defined Bangladesh's rain-affected first day.

Shadman himself led the scoring with 46 runs. Other batsmen including Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31) all showed promise. However, after weathering the initial pressure, they succumbed to poor decisions and lost their wickets.

"You cannot score runs without playing shots," Shadman stated to reporters following 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 any suggestion that the team was deliberately attempting to score at an accelerated rate. "Nothing like that (trying to score at a good pace). Maybe some shots were wrong. It's part of cricket," he explained.

Shadman further 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 suggested that the interruptions caused by rain may have contributed to the team's underwhelming performance, as batsmen were forced to rebuild their innings multiple times. "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 choice to bat first, Shadman emphasized that a total around 270 to 280 would be a competitive score on the slow-paced wicket 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 asserted.

He concluded by stating, "If we can bowl in good areas, then we can make a comeback as there's help on the wicket."

Sri Lanka's Perspective

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's bowling coach, Thilina Kandamby, expressed his surprise at the unexpected behavior of the SSC pitch. He noted that the surface played unlike anything he had experienced 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 the efforts of his fast bowlers, stating, "The fast bowlers really showed character. They picked up key wickets and kept us in the game." Kandamby further added, "They (fast bowlers) focused heavily on fitness and bowling workloads, and the coaches have monitored them closely. That work is showing now," and voiced his confidence in Prabath's return to form, despite his current struggles. "Prabath is slightly out of form, but we believe in his experience. I'm confident he'll bounce back," he said.