‘Tough guy’: Shanto earns Salahuddin’s praise for mental strength

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was praised by senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin for showing courage and character during his gritty century in the Galle Test, despite playing with a painful finger injury.

"His finger was badly swollen, and he played through the pain. Shanto is a different character — a tough guy," Salahuddin told reporters after the second day's play. Shanto, who injured his finger during Bangladesh's first training session in Sri Lanka, batted with it bandaged and barely flinched en route to a superb 148 off 279 balls.

His mental fortitude didn't just shine through physically. "Just think — the way he keeps his composure despite all the trolling, I don't think many players could manage that. He's incredibly strong-minded," Salahuddin added. "As a leader, he's shown great character, which will benefit the rest of the team."

The captain's sixth Test ton, backed by Mushfiqur Rahim's commanding 163 and Litton Das's fluent 90, powered Bangladesh to 484 for nine by stumps on day two. The 264-run stand between Shanto and Mushfiqur was the bedrock of Bangladesh's innings and snapped both players' century droughts.

Salahuddin also credited the trio for lifting team morale. "They were under pressure for several reasons, but they stepped up. That's a big positive," he said.

However, Bangladesh's momentum slipped post-rain delay, losing five wickets for just 26 runs. Salahuddin blamed poor shot selection rather than the interruption, but he remains optimistic. "If we can replicate Sri Lanka's disciplined bowling in that final session, we're still in with a good chance."