Sri Lanka host Bangladesh in the first of two Test matches at the Galle International Stadium on Tuesday, June 17. The Bangla Tigers come into this series on the back of a few disappointing results in the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan. They will aim to put that behind them. However, it will be far easier said than done for Najmul Hossain Shanto’s side given that they do not have a lot of experience in their squad, and will have to rely a lot on youth.
Shanto was sacked as Bangladesh’s ODI captain a few days ago in favour of teammate Mehidy Hasan Miraz. He allegedly informed the board that it would be better if Miraz took over as Test captain, too. However, the board did not agree to this, and asked Shanto to continue as the skipper of the red-ball unit.
This series against Sri Lanka will, in many ways, determine Shanto’s future as Bangladesh’s Test captain. It is for pride, more than anything else, that he will push his wards to go the distance. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, know these conditions very well; they are seldom seen losing a Test match in Galle.
With the scenic fort in the background, this ground is among the most scenic ones in the world. Sri Lanka will like nothing better than to start the series off with a victory. Sri Lanka will likely overload their side with spinners as the pitch here in Galle is known to turn a lot and even break after the first two days of play.
This will not be too difficult a challenge for Bangladesh as they too have quite a few good spinners in their ranks who can pose tough questions to their Sri Lankan counterparts. All in all, the side who bats last in this game will have the biggest challenge to face as the pitch is likely to break apart by then. This makes winning the toss quite crucial in this match.
Predicted Teams
SL: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Milan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kusal Mendis (wk), Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris, Lahiru Kumara.
BAN: Shadman Islam, Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana.
Key Players
Dinesh Chandimal (SL): Top-order batter Dinesh Chandimal will be one of the most important players for Sri Lanka in this series. Known for donning the wicketkeeping gloves in white-ball cricket, Chandimal plays as a pure batter in Tests and is known for his elaborate approach towards the game. He likes to allow the ball to come towards him and uses his feet well to get to its pitch. Chandimal is one of the few current Sri Lankan batters who can bat for long periods of time, and this quality will hold him in good stead against a strong, spin-based Bangladeshi bowling unit which will thrive on the turning track of Galle.
Taijul Islam (BAN): Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam is one of the players to watch out for in this Bangladesh side for this game given the wealth of experience he has under his belt. Islam is known for his accuracy while bowling and this, in turn, makes him one of the most difficult bowlers to hit and score runs against. Islam will thoroughly love the conditions here in Galle, which will aid spinners. His ability to turn the ball, give it revolutions and toss it up, makes him one of the most fearsome bowlers.
Match Prediction
Sri Lanka begin this series as favourites. Bangladesh have not been in good form recently, and this can go against them. The Lankans seem to have covered most of their bases, but the retirement of Angelo Mathews may open some new areas for improvement. For Bangladesh to compete alongside Lanka in this game, their batters will have to take the game deep and bide their time while scoring runs. Playing unnecessary shots will surely get Bangladesh in trouble, and they will guard themselves against such extravagant options.
