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.
Former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar has voiced support for under-fire opener Anamul Haque Bijoy, suggesting that the team management should give the struggling batter "one more chance" despite a poor showing in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Come June 26, Bangladesh will be completing its 25 years in Test cricket.
Sri Lankan great Angelo Mathews received a warm reception from the Bangladesh team during his farewell Test in Galle, which ended in a draw yesterday. The visitors gave him a guard of honour during his first-innings walk to the crease and later greeted him warmly after the match.
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.
Yet, despite the individual brilliance, murmurs of doubt persisted over Bangladesh’s approach, particularly their intent, or the lack thereof, in pursuing a win.
“As a leader, he’s shown great character, which will benefit the rest of the team.”
Unbeaten centuries from Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim on the opening day of the Galle Test yesterday brought welcome relief to Bangladesh cricket, who have been under scrutiny in recent months for both on- and off-field issues.
Bangladesh batter Mushfiqur Rahim has backed skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto to go on and convert his century into a double, after both reached three figures on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Tuesday.
Bangladesh are all set to brace the Test challenge from next month after competing mostly in the T20 format for the last couple of months in the buildup to the T20 World Cup, which concluded on June 29 in the USA and West Indies.
Now, will the BCB finally demand accountability from Hathurusingha or will they maintain the status quo as raising questions will bring them directly into the firing line?
No shortage of excitement, tension, and twists with the semifinals spot at stake: one could not have expected more drama than what unfolded during an absorbing T20 World Cup Super Eights contest between Bangladesh and Afghanistan at the Arnos Vale Stadium in Saint Vincent yesterday.
“I would say that as a team we have disappointed our fans. We have let down the people who always follow our matches. So, on behalf of my team, I apologise,” Shanto said after the match against Afghanistan.
Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal criticised the team’s decision-making following the team's 50-run defeat in a T20 World Cup Super Eight match against India in Antigua yesterday. The leading run-scorer for Bangladesh in international cricket, sharing his opinion as an expert with ESPNcricinfo, was perplexed by a few decisions that Bangladesh made in regards to the toss and personnel.
Bangladesh were outplayed in every department in their 28-run loss (DLS) to Australia in their first Super Eight fixture of the ongoing T20 World Cup in Antigua today as skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was left regretting not putting up a decent enough total on the board.
"It is not possible that every day the bowlers will make the team win. I hope they make us win every day, that's what I hope for but the batsmen also have a responsibility.
With the Super 8s berth, the Tigers also secured a direct qualification for the 2026 T20 World Cup, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
At one end, there is captain Shanto, a smart leader who has been brave with his use of bowlers, excellent with his on-field decisions, has taken a number of gutsy calls, and almost all of his gambles have come off.
Bangladesh players trained at the Arnos Vale Stadium in Kingstown today ahead of their final Group D fixture against Nepal at the same venue on Monday. A win against Nepal will seal qualification to the Super 8s for the Tigers alongside group-leaders South Africa.
