Bangladesh Struggles in Second Test Against Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: Bangladeshi spin bowling all-rounder Taijul Islam voiced his dismay on Friday regarding his team’s batting performance in the second Test against Sri Lanka, currently being played at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.

At the close of play on day three, Bangladesh stood at 115/6, needing an additional 96 runs with only four wickets remaining to prevent an innings defeat.

Wicketkeeper batter Litton Das, who is still at the crease with 13 runs, is faced with a significant challenge to save the team from a heavy loss, as he is the last established batter left.

Taijul, who achieved his 17th five-wicket haul in Test matches during Sri Lanka’s first innings, lamented the batters’ failure to capitalize on their starts and convert them into substantial scores, attributing it as a key reason for their struggles in the ongoing game.

The bowling all-rounder stated that the match’s outcome could have been different had their batting lineup produced two centuries or multiple half-centuries.

“We didn’t perform well. There’s no specific reason; we just didn’t play well as a team. Our batting wasn’t up to par,” Islam stated.

“The wicket was favorable in the first innings. However, each batter was dismissed after settling in. The situation might have been different if there were two hundreds or two scores of fifty,” he added.

Reflecting on his own performance, which was a bright spot for Bangladesh in the second Test, Islam attributed his success to using variations and different seam positions.

“There are a few variations, such as which seam position can lead to success; I simply stuck with that,” Taijul explained.

“I enjoy bowling long spells. I am accustomed to it. It’s not as if I prefer not to bowl long spells,” he concluded.

It is worth noting that the ongoing two-match series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh is tied at 0-0, as the first Test in Galle concluded in a draw.