Headline: Bangladesh's Shadman Islam Stands by Teammates After Batting Woes on Day 1 vs. Sri Lanka

Shadman Islam Defends Bangladesh Batters After Day One Struggle

Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam 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 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. Bangladesh ended the rain-affected day with a below-par total, a situation Shadman attributed partly to unfortunate shot selections.

While Shadman himself led the way with 46, other batsmen like Mominul Haque (21), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Kumar Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan (31) all got their innings going before losing their wickets. They appeared poised to capitalize after weathering the initial challenges, but ultimately faltered.

"You cannot score runs without playing shots," Shadman stated 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 any suggestion of deliberately trying to accelerate the scoring rate, adding, "Maybe some shots were wrong. It's part of cricket."

Shadman also noted the sluggish nature of the pitch, 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."

He further suggested that the frequent rain interruptions hampered their progress. "The batters need to get set again after a break. Maybe it played a role," he explained. "No one wants to get out intentionally. Maybe it was a bad day for us."

Defending the captain's decision to bat first, Shadman expressed confidence that a total 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 asserted.

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

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's bowling coach, Thilina Kandamby, admitted his surprise at the pitch's behavior, stating it was unlike anything he'd 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," Kandamby explained.

He praised his fast bowlers for their performance: "The fast bowlers really showed character. They picked up key wickets and kept us in the game." He added that their focus on fitness and workloads was paying dividends and expressed confidence in Prabath's return to form. "Prabath is slightly out of form, but we believe in his experience. I'm confident he'll bounce back," he said.