Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, 2nd Test, Day 1 - 5 Talking Points

Team Bangladesh were all set to play their 100th Test when they strolled at the P Sara Stadium in Colombo for the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka. Trailing 0-1 down in the 2-match Test series, the pressure was on the visiting side. Things did not start on a very ominous note for them as Sri Lanka skipper Rangana Herath opted to bat first after having won the toss.

However, what perspired on the day’s play was something that the visitors would like to capitalize on. A brilliant bowling display from Bangladeshi bowlers kept the Lankans down to a mere 238/7 on the day. The conditions looked good for batting but the bowlers did a fabulous job to keep the visitors in command of the proceedings. The top order failed for the hosts with three wickets falling in quick succession.

Dinesh Chandimal then provided the much needed resistance. Some lower middle order contributions from Dhananjaya de Silva Niroshan Dickwella provided the ideal support to Chandimal. Later in the day, it was skipper Rangaga Herath, who showed strong defense. With Chandimal unbeaten on 86, the hosts will hope for things to turn around in their favor on the day 2.

Here are the 5 Talking Points from the day 1 of the second Test:

1. Top order fails for Sri Lanka

The Sri Lanka openers had done a great job in the first Test that had put them in a commanding position in Galle. The hosts hoped for a repeat performance at Colombo. But it wasn’t to be on the day. Dimuth Karunaratne and Upul Tharanga failed to add runs on the board as the opening stand lasted just 52 balls.

Mustafizur Rahman got the first breakthrough as he managed to get Karunaratne caught on 7 in the 9th over of the match. Tharanga perished a couple of overs later on 11 as Mehedi Hasan bagged his first wicket of the day. All eyes were on Kusal Mendis, who had played a herculean knock in the first match.

Mendis tried to counter attack very early in his innings and stepped out on a delivery by Hasan. This only found him out of his crease as Mushfiqur Rahim stumped him on 5. At 35/3, the Sri Lankans knew they were dented early on in the first session of play.

2. Chandimal shows the way

The way the first three wickets fell, it had certainly spoken volumes about the track. The pitch was definitely not the easiest to bat on. However, veteran batsman Dinesh Chandimal showed that things could actually be done if played with patience.

Chandimal soaked in all the pressure and took his time to get his eyes in. He played briliantly on the day and it would not be wrong to state that he was the only batsman who looked comfortable at the middle on day 1.

Run scoring was difficult, but Chandimal knew he had a responsibility in hand. He batted along till the last session and remained unbeaten on 86. His knock came in 210 balls with just 4 fours and that explains the fact that runs were actually hard to come by.

3. Chandimal finds some support from the lower middle order

Just when things had started to look grim for Sri Lanka, it was the lower middle order that came to the rescue. At 35/3, the hosts needed some resistance at the crease. Asela Gunaratne came in with a big reputation but could not survive long.

He was sent packing by Subashis Roy on 13 that came off 39 deliveries. Life was not that easy batting on a vicious track like that. Chandimal looked good at one end but needed someone to hold the fort at the other. He got the much needed support from Dhananjaya de Silva. Both batsman added 66 runs for the fifth wicket before De Silva was dismissed on 34.

Soon after he departed, Niroshan Dickwella did the task that De Silva had done reasonably well. He supported Chandimal at the crease with an identical 34, albeit scored at a brisk rate. He scored 34 off just 37 deliveries and shared a 44 run stand with Chandimal.

4. Bangladesh bowlers rule the roost

It will only be safe and fitting to say that the day belonged to the Bangladesh bowlers. The bowlers definitely had their homework done as they did not leak out any free runs. They bowled tight lines and that was reflected at the scorecard at the end of the day.

All front line bowlers managed to see themselves in the wickets column. Mustafizur Rahman was clinical as ever with figures of 2/32. Mehedi Hasan replicated similar figures of 2/58 in the spin department.

Subashis Roy, Taijul Islam and Shakib Al Hasan bagged a wicket each to keep the hosts out of the game for long spells. It was the frontline bowling in the first session that set the tone for the visitors on the day.

5. Rangana Herath’s strong resistance

When the Bangladeshi bowlers had managed to scalp 7 Sri Lankan wickets by the end of the 65th over, they expected their bowlers to run through the lower order as well. Little did they know that they were up against the wise old man Rangana Herath.

Herath played an excruciatingly slow knock that could well be defined as an innings of substance and solid defense. He remained unbeaten on 18 off 63 and proved to be the kind of partner the set batsman Dinesh Chandimal was longing for.

Herath’s wicket will surely be the key in this Test as the Bangladeshi will try to come out all guns blazing on day 2 to see his back as soon as possible. This is not the first time that Herath has shown strong resistance. The history knows that he is capable of holding the fort for long durations.