Left-arm Bangladesh pace bowler Shoriful Islam has been ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka due to a hand injury, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has confirmed. The second Test begins in Dhaka on May 23. Also read:Chattogram Test: Bangladesh in driving seat Shoriful had been struck on his right hand while batting on the fourth day of the ongoing Chattogram Test. An X-ray has confirmed a fracture which could keep him out of action for around four to five weeks. “Shoriful had a contusion of the right hand while batting. After the fourth day’s play an X-ray was carried out, which has revealed a fracture on the base of the 5th metacarpal bone,” National team physio Bayjedul Islam said. Also read:Ctg test: Bangladesh declare ensuring a 68-run lead “Such injuries tend to take around three weeks to heal, followed by a couple of week’s rehab. He will not be available to play for four to five weeks,” he added.

South Africa won the toss and opted to bat first in the second of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh at Port Elizabeth on Friday. Bangladesh has, however, made two changes in the playing XI -- Tamim Iqbal has replaced Shadman Islam, and Taijul Islam is in the team in place of Taskin Ahmed, who has been ruled out due to a hand injury. With the return of Tamim, Bangladesh can hope for a strong top-order batting display. Bangladesh lost the first Test in Durban by a big margin of 220 runs after a batting collapse in the second innings. Also Read: SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh Aspire to Level the Test Series with Fresh Strategy Mahmudul Hasan Joy was the best performer for Bangladesh in the first Test. The young batter hit a ton in Durban, which was the maiden Test century by any Bangladeshi batter in South Africa. While Bangladesh have made two changes, the hosts are playing with an unchanged XI. Bangladesh (Playing XI): Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque (c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das (w), Yasir Ali, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Also Read: Pat Cummins Makes Headlines with Fastest IPL Fifty South Africa (Playing XI): Dean Elgar (c), Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Temba Bavuma, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne (w), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, Lizaad Williams, Duanne Olivier

Pakistan collapsed to 100-7 at tea against Mitchell Starc’s searing pace in reply to Australia's mammoth 556-9 declared on the third day of the second test on Monday. Starc picked up 3-24 in a superb spell of left-arm fast bowling which included the wickets of Azhar Ali and Fawad Alam off successive deliveries. Pakistan lost six wickets in the middle session for only 62 runs and still needs 257 runs to avoid the follow-on. Also read: Australia rattle 505-8 against Pakistan in 2nd Test Home captain Babar Azam was unbeaten on 29 with Hasan Ali yet to score. Babar survived a close lbw referral against Pat Cummins before he had scored. Australia made early inroads when leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson ran out Abdullah Shafique before lunch. Nathan Lyon then ignited the collapse immediately after lunch when Imam-ul-Haq played a terrible shot and holed out to mid-on before Starc ran through the middle order. Azhar played away from his body and Cameron Green took an edge in the slips while Alam was out plumb lbw following a vicious yorker. Rizwan Ali was beaten off the hat-trick ball before eventually succumbing to Cummins. Much like the first test, off-spinner Lyon came into the attack early and the occasional delivery by him and debutant Swepson turned off a slow wicket. Earlier, Cummins (34 not out) helped add a rapid 51 runs after Australia resumed its first innings on 505-8. Also read: Can’t express my feelings in words: Nigar Sultana after historic win against Pakistan Despite losing Starc (28) to the second ball, which gave Shaheen Afridi his first wicket, Cummins and Swepson (15 not out) scored freely against spinners Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali. Cummins lofted two sixes off left-armer Nauman, who ended up with 1-134 from 48 overs. Sajid took 2-167 from 57 overs.

With the job half done, Bangladesh are all set to take on New Zealand from Sunday in the second Test of the series aiming to finish the job — to win their first-ever Test series against the Blackcaps. The Tigers, who had no win in New Zealand despite playing a total of 32 matches across all the formats, won the first Test of the series in Tauranga by eight wickets. Along with becoming their first-ever win in New Zealand, this win ended the drought of Bangladesh of not winning a Test against any of the top-five Test teams away from home. Experts said it was one of the best things that Bangladesh have done in their cricketing history, though Masrhafe Bin Mortaza, the former captain of the Tigers is not a big fan of this idea. He rather said ‘not one of the best’, it actually is ‘the best-ever win’ of Bangladesh in cricket regardless of the formats. Read: Bangladesh National Men's Cricket Team Schedules for 2022 Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan echoed Mashrafe. To him, this win proved those who used to think that Bangladesh is unable to do big things sans the service of the big players wrong. Shakib pointed to the absence of himself and Tamim Iqbal in this series. While Tamim was left out due to an injury, Shakib skipped it citing family reasons. “Bangladesh’s media fraternity used to say that the Bangladesh team is all about some four-five players, but it is proved wrong now. The young players are also capable of doing big things if they are given adequate chances,” Shakib said recently during a media interaction in Dhaka. Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo believes the Tigers are pumped-up thanks to the win in the first match, and they are eager to create a new chapter of their history winning the second Test in a tougher condition in Christchurch which will surely offer a wicket with grass on it. Given the current stats of Bangladesh in the longer format of the sport, one might say it’s a daydream of the Tigers to aim for a series win against New Zealand— the current champions of the ICC World Test Championship. But a win with the contribution from most players of the XI changed the atmosphere of the Bangladesh team.

22-year-old spinner  Praveen Jayawickrama returned 11 wickets conceding 178 runs on debut and helped his team to crush Bangladesh by 209 runs with more than two sessions to play in Kandy Test. Jayawickrama’s match figures of taking 11 wickets conceding 178 runs is now the record of the best bowling on debut for Sri Lanka. He is now the first and only bowler from Sri Lanka to take 10 or more wickets on Test debut with five or more in each innings. Read Also: Sri Lanka stretch lead over 400 as Bangladesh in more trouble   With this defeat, Bangladesh lost the series as well. The first Test of the even was ended in a draw at the same venue.  On the fifth and final day of the game, Bangladesh needed to score 260 runs to win or bat for the entire day to save this game at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. But the tourists failed to complete even the first session. Bangladesh lost the last five wickets in 50 runs and ended up their second innings on 227 in 71 0vers.  While Jayawickrama took five for 86 in the last innings of the match, off-spinner Ramesh Mendis scalped four wickets.  In their second innings, Sri Lanka had posted 194 for nine with the captain Dimuth Karunaratne hitting the highest 66. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam bagged five wickets for Bangladesh. With the first-innings lead of 242, Sri Lanka set a target of  Earlier, Sri Lanka posted a mammoth total of 493 runs for seven in their first innings riding on the centuries of Karunarate (118) and Lahiru Thirimanne (140) and Oshada Fernando scored 81. Niroshan Dickwella, the wicketkeeper-batsman, remained not-out for 77.  Read Also: Sri Lanka set 437 for Bangladesh to win in Kandy Taskin Ahmed was the best bowler for Bangladesh taking four wickets for 127 runs, which is now his best bowling figures in Tests.  In reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings, Bangladesh tumbled for only 251 runs despite a 90 from Tamim Iqbal. Most of the batsman have had a good start but they failed to come up with the big innings.  Mominul Haque ended up on 49 and Mushfiqur Rahim scored 40. The onus was on them to propel the Tigers to a safe position in this game, but they disappointed.  Jayawickrama, who got a chance to play this game due to injuries or off-form of the other spinners, bagged six wickets conceding 92 runs.  Read Also: BAN v SL ODI 2021: How Bangladesh Can Rank Top in ICC ODI Super League Brief score:  Sri Lanka (1st innings) 493/7 in 159.2 overs declared (Thirimanne 140, Karunaratne 118, Fernando 81, Dickwella 77*; Taskin 4/127) Bangladesh (1st innings) 251/10 in 83 overs (Tamim 92, Mominul 49, Mushfiqur 40; Jayawickrama 6/92, Lakmal 2/30) Sri Lanka (2nd innings) 194/9 in 42.2 overs declared (Karunaratne 66, de Silva 41; Taijul 5/72, Mehidy 2/66) Bangladesh (2nd innings) 227/10 in 71 overs (Mushfiqur 40, Mehidy 39, Mominul 32; Jayawickrama 5/86, Mendis 4/103) Result: Sri Lanka won the game by 209 runs    

Sri Lanka stretched their lead over 400 with four wickets in hand in the second Test against Bangladesh in Kandy.  At the lunch of day four, Sri Lanka were batting at 172 for six. They are now leading y 414 runs with their huge first-innings lead of 242 runs.  Read Also: Bangladesh's Greatest XI in Test cricket based only on Stats Dimuth Karunaratne led Sri Lanka from the front with hitting yet another fifty in the series. He fell prey as Saif Hassan’s maiden Test wicket after scoring 66 in the second innings which helped Sri Lanka past the 400-run mark as their lead.  Angelo Mathews departed early in the morning but Dhananjaya de Silva added 41 in a quick move.  Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam bagged three wickets so far in this match conceding 60 runs in 18 overs while Mehidy Hasan Miraz took two wickets.  Read Also: BCB announces preliminary squad for Sri Lanka's tour of Bangladesh Earlier, Sri Lanka posted a mammoth total of 493 runs for seven in their first innings riding on the centuries of Dimuth Karunarate (118) and Lahiru Thirimanne (140) and Oshada Fernando scored 81. Niroshan Dickwella, the wicketkeeper-batsman, remained not-out for 77.  Taskin Ahmed was the best bowler for Bangladesh taking four wickets for 127 runs, which is now his best bowling figures in Tests.  In reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings, Bangladesh tumbled for only 251 runs despite a 90 from Tamim Iqbal. Most of the batsmen have had a good start but they failed to come up with the big innings.  Read Also: Lankan Lions take charge as Tigers crumble in Kandy Mominul Haque ended up on 49 and Mushfiqur Rahim scored 40. The onus was on them to propel the Tigers to a safe position in this game, but they disappointed.  Sri Lankan debutant Praveen Jayawickrama, who got a chance to play this game due to injuries or off-form of the other spinners, bagged six wickets conceding 92 runs, which is now the best bowling for a Sri Lankan debutant in Tests.