Bangladesh look to break pattern in Colombo

Bangladesh will aim for a rare slice of history when they take on Sri Lanka in the second and final Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Colombo today, hoping to seal their first-ever Test series victory over the hosts.

Although the Galle Test ended in a draw, the Tigers largely dictated terms, only to miss out on a golden chance to win after opting for a cautious declaration on the final day.

Still, the positives from Galle were plenty. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto struck twin centuries, while Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das showed signs of form after lean patches. Nayeem Hasan's maiden overseas five-wicket haul also stood out, offering a much-needed lift at a time when interest in the team had waned following poor performances across formats in recent months.

The visitors will be hoping that the Galle Test performance doesn't only remain as a one-off, as on previous many occasions, Bangladesh wasted opportunities of winning series through their poor showings in the series-deciding matches due to their lack of consistency in this format.

In 2022, they drew the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Chattogram but suffered a crushing 10-wicket defeat in the series decider to lose the series 1–0 after demonstrating a woeful batting performance in their second innings in Mirpur.

Bangladesh also squandered their lead against New Zealand twice -- once at home and once away -- in the last three and a half years, as they conceded defeats in the second Test and lost the opportunity to clinch series victories. On both occasions, they failed to replicate their first Test performances, especially their batters, and the onus will be on them again to avoid such a situation.

"The home team have been playing good cricket. It's not going to be an easy match to win," head coach Phil Simmons told reporters on the eve of the Colombo Test yesterday.

"We will try to do the same thing we tried to do in Galle. I'm looking to win and find the best way to win."

Ahead of the Colombo Test, Bangladesh team management are also having a hard time selecting their playing eleven. All-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who couldn't feature in the series opener due to fever, is expected to return to the side for the all-important game. To accommodate him, however, in-form off-spinner Nayeem could be left out or a specialised batter sacrificed.

Simmons insisted that they would pick their playing eleven based on the wicket and conditions, although he also didn't deny the fact that they would have a tough time deciding on the matter.

"First thing, we have come here and we will assess what the wicket looks like and the conditions here. Then we will decide which way we want to go -- whether three spinners would play," said Simmons.

"Nayeem had a fantastic game in Galle. It's tough to leave someone out after such a performance. But everyone understands the team requirements," Simmons added.

He confirmed Shanto had recovered from a finger injury sustained during slip-catching practice on Monday and also threw his support behind opener Anamul Haque Bijoy, who scored just four runs on a flat Galle pitch.