Shadman Attributes Bangladesh’s Batting Woes to Rain Interruption

COLOMBO: Despite a lackluster batting display on the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka, Bangladeshi opener Shadman Islam stood by his team’s batting lineup, asserting that scoring opportunities require taking risks.

Bangladesh concluded the rain-affected first day at 220/8, with tailenders Taijul Islam and Ebadot Hossain at the crease.

Several batsmen from the visiting team achieved starts but failed to convert them into significant scores, largely due to questionable shot selection.

However, Shadman, who was Bangladesh’s top scorer with a knock of 46 runs on an otherwise dismal day, contended that his teammates took their chances to accumulate runs, but fortune wasn’t on their side.

“You can’t put runs on the board without attempting shots. We took our chances in Galle as well, where they resulted in boundaries. Unfortunately, today just wasn’t our day,” Shadman commented to the press.

“It wasn’t about trying to maintain a specific scoring rate. Perhaps some shot choices were incorrect. That’s part of the game. The pitch seemed somewhat slow. There wasn’t much movement early on, and we gave away our wickets. Hopefully, we’ll avoid that in the second innings,” he added.

Shadman further supported his argument by suggesting that the interruption due to rain also contributed to Bangladesh’s subpar batting performance, disrupting their rhythm.

“The batsmen have to reset their focus after each break. Perhaps that played a role,” Shadman noted.

“No one aims to get out deliberately. It might just have been an off day for us,” he further stated.

The left-handed opener also defended captain Najmul Hossain Shanto’s choice to bat first, suggesting that a total of around 280 runs would be competitive on the slow surface of the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.

“I didn’t see anything that would suggest the decision to bat first was incorrect. The wicket was a bit slow. I’m hopeful that 270-280 will prove to be a decent score. If our bowling is effective, we can make a comeback, Insha’Allah,” Shadman Islam remarked.

“If we can maintain accuracy in our bowling areas, we can stage a comeback, as the wicket offers some assistance,” he concluded.