Rain forced us to change plans: Shanto defends late declaration

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto defended his decision to declare late on the fifth day of the first Test in Galle, citing rain as a key factor that disrupted their plans for an earlier declaration. 

Resuming their second innings on 177-3 with a lead of 187, Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim added 60 runs in the first 19 overs of the final day before rain interrupted play for three hours. 

Once play resumed, Bangladesh declared at 285-6, with Shanto unbeaten on 125 -- his second century of the match -- setting Sri Lanka a target of 296 in 37 overs. Despite the limited time, spinners Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan took four quick wickets to leave the hosts struggling at 48-4. Eventually, Sri Lanka reached 72 for 4 in 32 overs before Shanto decided to shake hands for a draw with five overs left in the day.

Despite the draw against Sri Lanka -- a side two places above the Tigers in ICC rankings -- and the individual feats, many have argued that an earlier declaration could have given Bangladesh a better chance of forcing a win.

Shanto himself has copped flak for his sluggish century in the second innings that came off 190 deliveries. A lack of intent was further exemplified by Mushfiqur's 49-run knock that came off 102 balls. Sahnto, however, blamed the rain interruption for the lack of intent in going for a win.

"The wicket didn't behave as we expected it would on day five. We were batting comfortably at the crease. We wanted to be in a position where our losing chances would be slim but our winning possibility will be higher. However, rain in the middle actually forced us to change the plan," Shanto said while explaining the rationale behind the timing.

After play resumed, with Shanto unbeaten on 87, Bangladesh opted to bat a further 11 overs. The Tigers churned only 19 runs from the first eight overs out of the 11. And it was only after Shanto had reached his century did he open up, playing lofted strokes that hinted at a different gear he had deliberately avoided earlier, most likely to reach the personal milestone as the next three overs brought the Tigers 29 runs.

"Overall, we always targeted to win the game. In the morning, you could say we could have batted more aggressively. But we were not in a situation to understand how the wicket would behave. We took one hour time  to assess [the wicket]. Still, we were scoring at a rate of three. We scored 60 runs in the first 17 to 18 overs. If we could have batted for the full first session, the scenario could have been different," Shanto said.

"I would say if we gave them 60 to 70 overs to bat on the final day, there could be an opportunity for us. But I'm not totally worried. We took four wickets. So I'm happy that the bowlers could bowl well in the opportunity they got."

Shanto, who became the first Bangladesh captain to score centuries in both innings of a Test match, also addressed the criticism surrounding his abysmal form. Before this Test, he had gone 20 innings without a century and managed only two fifties during this period.

"There will be criticisms. As a player, it's important for me to contribute for the team regularly. It's important whether my work ethic, hard work and intentions are okay or not. I think I tried my best. I'm happy to contribute to the team," he said.