Sri Lanka tour
Sri Lanka make steady progress against Bangladesh's 541
Sri Lanka have responded well to Bangladesh's first-innings total of 541 in the Kandy Test, scoring 229 for three in 73 overs in the Kandy Test.
At the end of day three on Friday, captain Dimuth Karunaratne and all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva were batting at 85 and 26. Sri Lanka are trailing by 312 runs with two days to left play.
The Lankans started well before the lunch break of day three, posting 114 runs in the first wicket stand, thanks to 58 off Lahiru Thirimanne.
For Bangladesh, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam and Taskin Ahmed bagged one wicket each.
Earlier, the Tigers declared the first innings at 541/7 in 173 overs before the lunch break of day three. This is the sixth-highest Test innings for the Tigers and the third-highest in overseas Tests.
Also read: Kandy Test: Bangladesh declare posting a mammoth score
Both overnight batsmen, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das scored a 50 each. Liton fell prey to Vishwa Fernando, for 50, Mushfiqur remained unbeaten on 68.
After Liton's dismissal, Bangladesh lost Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam in quick succession. Taskin Ahmed came to bat at number nine and remained not-out for six.
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque dominated the first two days of the game, hitting a 100 each. It was the first Test 100 for Najmul, and Mominul recorded his maiden century in away Tests.
Also, Tamim Iqbal set the tone for Bangladesh's innings, scoring 90 runs.
For Sri Lanka, Vishwa Fernando was the most successful bowler who bagged four wickets in the batting paradise, conceding 96 runs in 35 overs, while Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara and Dhananjaya de Silva took one wicket each.
Ban v SL: Domingo expects quick runs on third morning
Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo says he is expecting some quick runs on the morning of the third day of Kandy Test to put more pressure on hosts Sri Lanka.
The play of the second day ended early due to bad light when Bangladesh were batting at 474 for four, with Mushfiqur Rahim (43*) and Liton Das (25*) at the crease.
“We’ll discuss it (how many runs are safe) overnight but we need to get some quick runs tomorrow morning,” Domingo told the media through a virtual press conference at the end of day two. “If we can get around 520, it gives us a good opportunity to put them under some pressure.”
Also read: Ban v SL Day 2: Tigers 474/4 at stumps
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque have struck centuries. While it was the maiden ton for Najmul, Mominul recorded his first in away Tests. Domingo lauded both for their performance.
“I think there’s been a lot of discussion about how he goes about his innings. Being a bit more patient, leaving a few more balls, cutting out certain scoring areas. He has played a fantastic innings. I’m really pleased with him. He’s worked really hard on his game in the last couple of months,” Domingo said about Shanto.
“I think Mominul understands his game really well. He’s a very calm person. I think his demeanour lends him to be a very organised Test batsman. He’s meticulous in his preparation. I think he’s a fantastic Test batsman and he’s trying his best to lead the side. He got a hundred against the West Indies, and followed up with a hundred here again,” Domingo said.
Also read: Mominul scores first century on foreign soil
The wicket of Kandy is mostly friendly to the batsmen. In the first two days, bowlers hardly got anything from the wicket.
“Winning the Test is a long way away. It’s not something we’re thinking about at the moment. Our main focus is to play well in the first session tomorrow. There’s a lot of hard work ahead of us to even consider thinking of winning this Test,” Domingo added.
Ban v SL Day 2: Tigers 474/4 at stumps
Bangladesh scored a massive 474/4 in 155 overs at the end of day 2 of the Kandy Test against Sri Lanka.
The umpires called the second day after keeping the game stopped for more than an hour due to bad light.
Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das were unbeaten for 43 and 25 respectively.
The sky was dark at local time 4pm when the batsmen returned to the dressing room due to the bad light and waited for more than an hour for the game to resume. The umpires called it a day at local time 5pm.
Sri Lankan bowlers were disciplined on day two and kept the run rate lower than the previous day. Despite that, Bangladesh's superb batting performance have put them in the driving seat.
Najmul Hossain Shanto hit his maiden ton (163) while Mominul Haque fell for 127, his first century on foreign soil.
Also read: Mominul scores first century on foreign soil
The 242-run partnership between Najmul and Mominul is now the highest third-wicket stand for Bangladesh in Tests.
Najmul prodded a return catch to Lahiru Kumara to get dismissed while Mominul tried to drive off Dhananjaya de Silva away from his body with an angled bat but ended up giving a catch to Lahiru Thirimanne at the first slip.
On day one, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first. They lost opener Saif Hassan in the second over of the match. But the visitors recovered from the initial damage as Tamim Iqbal and Najmul put up a 144-run partnership in the second wicket stand.
This series is part of the World Test Championship. Bangladesh have played five matches of this event and failed to win any of them. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, played 10 matches -- one win, six losses and three draws.
Bangladesh played a total of 12 matches in Sri Lanka and won one of them in 2017 which was Bangladesh’s last overseas Test win to date.
Mominul hits maiden overseas test century
Bangladesh Test captain Mominul Haque hit his maiden test ton away from home in the ongoing Test against Sri Lanka in Kandy on Thursday.
At the lunch break of day two, Bangladesh were batting at 378 for two, with Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul were unbeaten for 155 and 107 respectively.
Also Read: Kandy Test: Tamim's quick fifty drives Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
Mominul needed to face 224 to record his first century in an overseas Test. Right after his ton, Najmul, who was unbeaten for 126 at the end of day one, stretched his first Test ton to 150.
Najmul was dropped at 28 by the wicketkeeper of the hosts on day one.
Bangladesh ended day one at 302 for two. They added 76 runs in the first session of day two and both the overnight batsmen are still impregnable by the hosts’ bowlers.
The third-wicket partnership between Najmul and Mominul reached 226 runs so far, which is now the fourth highest stand by a Bangladeshi pair in away Tests.
Also Read: BD v SL: Najmul hits maiden Test ton as Tigers take control
Mominul played 42 Tests before coming to this game and got stuck 10 centuries. But all of those centuries have been notched up on home soil. Before this game, his best in away Tests was 77, which is now surpassed by the left-handed batsman.
Earlier, on day one, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first. They lost the opener, Saif Hassan, in the second over of the match. But the visitors recovered from that initial damage well, as Tamim Iqbal and Najmul put up a 144-run partnership in the second wicket stand.
This series is part of the World Test Championship. Bangladesh played five matches of this event but failed to win any of them while Sri Lanka played 10 matches and won one with losing six and drawing the other three.
Bangladesh played a total of 12 matches in Sri Lanka and won one of them in 2017 which was Bangladesh’s last overseas Test win to the date.
BD v SL: Najmul eyes to bat longer in Kandy Test
Bangladesh top-order batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto said they are looking forward to batting longer to ensure a commanding position for the Tigers in the Kandy Test against Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh won the toss on Wednesday and opted to bat first in the first Test of the two-match series. They accumulated 302 runs for two wickets at the end of the day thanks to the maiden ton by Najmul (126*).
“It’s too early to think about the result of this game,” Najmul told a virtual press conference after day’s play. “It’s just day one. The longer we can bat, the more control we’ll have in this game. We’re looking forward to batting for a long time.”
Najmul came to the national set-up playing at all stages of the development group of Bangladesh cricket. But he disappointed with the bat in six Tests that he played so far. Najmul, however, played well at the domestic circuit.
“I had nothing to prove,” Najmul added. “I’ve worked so hard over the last four-five months. So I believed that I score at any moment. I was relaxed at the wicket. I just wanted to stay calm and keep enjoying my batting which eventually resulted in a good way.”
Also read: BD v SL: Najmul hits maiden Test ton as Tigers take control
Bangladesh lost the right-handed opener, Saif Hassan, off the last ball of the second over of the match which forced Najmul to come to bat early in the morning. He took it as an opportunity and batted through almost the entire day.
The 22-year-old batsman has credited Tamim Iqbal for his success. He said: “It was tough to bat in the first session as there was some movement. Tamim told me to stay calm and play carefully. He also said the wicket is good to bat. Tamim batted well which helped me to take some time and get adapted.”
Najmul partnered with Tamim in the second wicket to post 144 runs, and he accompanied Mominul Haque in the third wicket to add 150 runs on the board – the highest third-wicket partnership for Bangladesh in away Tests.
“I didn’t think much about how many balls I faced or how many runs I scored. We were focused to make big partnerships. We took one step at a time which helped to come up with the big partnerships. Now the next session is very important for us. If we can play well in the first session, it’ll help us to understand how many runs we need to in the first innings and after that, we may think about winning this game,” Najmul added.
BD v SL: Najmul hits maiden Test ton as Tigers take control
Najmul Hossain Shanto registered his maiden Test century on Wednesday as Bangladesh took control of Kandy Test against Sri Lanka.
At the end of the first day’s play, Tigers had amassed 302 for two wickets. Najmul and Mominul Haque were unbeaten for 126 and 64 respectively. Najmul hit 14 fours and one six while Mominul scored six fours.
Bangladesh captain Mominul won the toss and opted to bat first. The decision proved to be right despite losing Saif Hassan in the second over of the innings.
After Saif’s dismissal, Najmul came and batted with great discipline through almost the entire day. He partnered with Tamim in the second wicket to post a partnership of 144 runs.
Najmul accompanied Mominul in the third wicket stand, which was impregnable at the end of the day, to add 150 runs. It is now the highest third-wicket partnership for Bangladesh in away Tests. They still have a good chance to make it even bigger.
Batsmen shine in intra-squad practice game of Bangladesh
On the first day of the two-day intra-squad practice game in Sri Lanka, four Bangladeshi batsmen scored a half-century each. At the end of the day, Tamim Iqbal-led Team Red scored 314 for six in 79.2 overs.
For Team Red, Tamim, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim scored a fifty each while Nurul Hasan Shohan posted 48.
Shuvagata Hom was the only bowler for Team Green to take a wicket while the other five batsmen decided to retired.
Also read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: Analysis of Bangladesh’s Test Squad for Sri Lanka Series
“It was tough to bat on this condition, especially, in the first hour of the day. But our openers— Tamim and Saif— batted tremendously. Najmul, Mushfiqur also did well,” Minhajul Abedin, Bangladesh’s chief selector who is touring Sri Lanka with the team, told the media over a video message.
“Bowlers have tried to get adapted to the condition. I believe this practice match gave us some good (opportunity to prepare well). We will get another day of play which will surely help us to prepare properly,” he added.
Also read: ‘We are capable of doing well in Sri Lanka’, says Khaled Mahmud
Left-handed top-order batsman Najmul said he batted the way he wanted to.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for preparation for us ahead of the main series,” Najmul said. “It’ll be great if I can bat this way in the Tests. We have to adapt to this condition. Bowlers did well in the first 20-25 overs, but after that, it became easy to bat on.”
Also read: ‘We can win in Sri Lanka even without Shakib, Mustafizur,’ says Mominul
The two-match series will begin on April 21 at Kandy. Due to the Covid-19 restriction in the island nation, both the Tests will take place at the same venue.
This series is a part of the World Test Championship. Bangladesh played five matches of this event so far but failed to win any of them. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, played 10 Tests of this event and won only one with six defeats and three draws.
Mehidy optimistic about good performance in Sri Lanka
Bangladesh allrounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz has said that they hope to deliver a good performance in the Sri Lanka series and are optimistic about a positive result this time for the Tigers.
Bangladesh national team are currently touring Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series which is part of the World Test Championship. It is the first overseas Test series for the Tigers in the pandemic.
After reaching Sri Lanka on April 12, the Bangladesh team maintained a three-day quarantine in the team hotel. They started training on Thursday.
Also read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: Analysis of Bangladesh’s Test Squad for Sri Lanka Series
“Whenever we came to Sri Lanka, we played well. We narrowly failed to lift the Nidahas Trophy. We ended the ODI series 1-1, and in the Test series, we also ended up winning a match,” Mehidy told the media in a video message from Sri Lanka on Friday.
“According to our performance in Sri Lanka during the last three-four years, I think we're not behind them. If we can stay firm and fight hard, I believe we’ll be able to bring a positive result this time,” he added.
‘We are capable of doing well in Sri Lanka’, says Khaled Mahmud
Bangladesh national cricket team is capable enough to play well in Sri Lanka, insisted Khaled Mahmud, the former captain and the team leader of Bangladesh during the Sri Lanka tour.
The team flew for Sri Lanka on Monday. They’ll face the hosts in a two-match Test series starting from April 21. Both matches will be played in Kandy.
This series is a part of the ongoing World Test Championaship. Bangladesh played five Tests of this event and failed to win any of them. Sri Lanka, in contrast, played 10 matches and won one of them with six defeats and three draws.
Also read: Bangladesh preliminary Test squad leave for Sri Lanka
“I think we are capable of doing well in Sri Lanka,” Mahmud told the reporters before taking on the flight of Sri Lanka. “Although we failed to do well in New Zealand, we’ll have a different condition in Sri Lanka. We know that we have the capability.”
Bangladesh faced the Blackcaps in a three-match ODI and three-match T20I series and lost all the matches.
“The condition of Sri Lanka is more familiar to us. We played many matches in Sri Lanka. So it’ll be easy for us to do well there ,” he added. “At the same time, we know that Sri Lanka is a tough team in their home backyard. But I believe, in terms of skillset, we are not behind them. If we can play our natural game and keep the process well, we can win in Sri Lanka.”
Also read: ‘We can win in Sri Lanka even without Shakib, Mustafizur,’ says Mominul
For the Sri Lanka tour, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced a 21-member preliminary squad recently including a few new faces.
Due to the Covid-19 restriction in Sri Lanka, the Bangladesh team will not get any local players or support staff. So the Bangladesh team will play a practice game being divided into two teams.
Before taking the field, the touring side will have to maintain a strict three-day quarantine period in Sri Lanka. Mahmud believes that maintaining a quarantine period will not be a problem for them.
“The players are now habitant to the system of quarantine,” Mahmud told the reporters. “We will stay in the hotel for three days. During this time, the boys will be able to contact each other and talk among themselves. I think it’ll help them to stay fit and fresh.”
Also read: BCB announces preliminary Test squad with three new faces
Bangladesh played a total of 12 Tests in Sri Lanka and won one of them, which was Bangladesh’s 100th Test match, and they lost 10 matches with ending up in no-result.
The 21-member preliminary Test team of Bangladesh for the Sri Lanka tour:
Mominul Haque (captain), Litton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Abu Jayed Rahi, Taijul Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali, Shoriful Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Mukidul Islam Mugdho, Shuvagata Hom, Shohidul Islam and Nurul Hasan Sohan
Tigers end practice camp at Queenstown
Bangladesh national team ended their practice camp in Queenstown with an intra-squad practice game on Tuesday. The Tigers are now set to travel to Dunedin for the first match of the three-match ODI series starting from March 20.