Bangladesh had a chance to win a Test match against Sri Lanka at home for the first time since the visitors sent an inexperienced squad. However, Bangladesh failed to capitalize on their home ground advantage and lost the BAN vs SL series 1-0 to Sri Lanka. Overall, Bangladesh lost their tenth bilateral Test series to Sri Lanka. The series served as a wake-up call for the BCB to take the necessary steps to improve Test cricket. Here are the five major findings from the Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Test series 2022.
Major Takeaways from the 2022 Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Test Series
Bangladesh’s Test series loss to Sri Lanka was unexpected as most the cricket pundits were convinced that the hosts had a decent chance against an inexperienced visiting side. Sri Lanka had a fresh pace bowling attack, but the spinners were not experienced enough.
Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal were not in great form before touring Bangladesh. All these were positives for the hosts, but when it came to actual battle, the Lankans executed their game plans properly during the contest and deservedly sealed the series. Let’s take a look at five significant findings in the Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Test series 2022.
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Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal still have a lot to offer the Sri Lankan national side
Both Mathews and Chandimal were not in great form before the Test series. However, they stepped up and made a difference for the Lankan side. Mathews was the top scorer in the series with 344 runs and deservedly won the player of the series award. His 199-run knock in the first innings of the first Test was the best in the series. Besides, he also hammered an unbeaten 145* in the first innings of the second Test.
Chandimal, on the other hand, played three crucial innings in the series. He formed two crucial partnerships with Angelo Mathews in both matches. His unbeaten 99*-run stand with Niroshan Dickwella in the second innings of the first Test helped Sri Lanka to save the match. Undoubtedly, these two Lankan veterans helped Sri Lanka to clinch the series and silenced their critics who thought they had nothing more to give to the national side.
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Sri Lanka have some talented Pacers
Prior to the series, no one had thought that Lankan pacers Asitha Fernando and Kasun Rajitha would finish on top of the most wicket-takers chart in the series. Bangladesh's conditions heavily favour the slower bowlers and it was expected that the spinners would rule over the batters.
However, the Lankan pacers stunned everyone by picking up virtually every wicket in Bangladesh. These two pacers took 24 out of 29 wickets for Bangladesh. Asitha Fernando finished top of the most wicket-takers chart with 13, while Kasun Rajitha bagged 11 wickets. Their brilliant performances with the ball are a pleasant thing for the Lankan selectors.
Mushfiqur Rahim is still Mr. Dependable
Mushfiqur Rahim was criticized for not being consistent since the T20 World Cup 2021. His barren run with the bat continued till the end of the South Africa tour. However, Mushfiqur made a brilliant comeback in the Sri Lanka series. He hammered two back-to-back hundreds and became the first Bangladesh player to score 5,000 Test runs. With two brilliant knocks, Mushfiqur proved again that form is temporary but class is permanent. Mushfiqur Rahim is still Mr. Dependable for Bangladesh.
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Litton Das is the best Test batter in Bangladesh
Litton Kumer Das has been in outstanding form since 2021. The right-hand batter has been among the top three run-scorers in Tests since last year. He continued his great run of form in the Sri Lanka series as well. Litton made 281 runs in the series, with one century and two half-centuries. With the current form Litton Das has, he is surely the best Test batter for Bangladesh at the moment.
Bangladesh have yet to learn the mantra of success in the longer-version format
The BCB is trying hard to formulate the best Test side for Bangladesh. The Cricket Board has already taken some steps to improve the country’s longer-version of cricket. However, it is often seen that Bangladesh choke or run out of energy at the crucial stages of a Test match despite being in a good position. Bangladesh need to develop their mental and physical strengths in order to get the desired results in the longer-version format.
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Way Forward
The Sri Lanka team has once again shown that Test cricket is not for everyone. It's a game for the elite, and Bangladesh are far from being one, at least for the time being. Bangladesh had more experience and strength than Sri Lanka.
However, the Lankans defeated the Tigers in both Tests in the Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Test series 2022. They had shown everyone how to respond in critical situations. Bangladesh simply couldn't handle the expectations and choked at critical moments in the BAN vs SL series. In other words, they haven't developed enough in the Test format to be able to defeat a formidable opponent. The BCB must put more emphasis on player development in the longer format of cricket to achieve the desired outcome.