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Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Bangladesh tighten grip on first Test against Sri Lanka
Bangladesh continued their dominance over Sri Lanka on the second day of the first test Wednesday, finishing at a commanding 484 for nine -- despite a few late breakthroughs by the hosts. The Tigers resumed on 292 for three overnight and turned the screws on a batting-friendly wicket, with Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto extending their record-breaking partnership. The 264-run partnership finally ended when Shanto fell for 148, deceived in the air as he attempted to drive one. Shanto's fluent innings was peppered with 15 boundaries and a six. Mushfiqur kept going with wicketkeeper Litton Das before finally falling for 163, a marathon knock that spanned nearly nine hours and 350 balls. Das piled on further misery for Sri Lanka with a brisk 90 off 123 deliveries, cashing in on tired bowlers and some loose fielding. He was particularly severe on the spinners, using his feet to good effect to lift the ball cleanly over the in-field. But he also survived some anxious moments. Pathum Nissanka grassed a sitter at short mid-wicket when he had just 14 to his name. Moments earlier, he had survived a run-out stemming from a mix-up. He eventually perished attempting a reverse sweep off debutant Tharindu Ratnayake, gloving it to Kusal Mendis behind the stumps. Bangladesh batting coach Mohammad Salahuddin said it was a "very good effort by the batsmen". "We were very impressed with the way Mushfiqur Rahim went about things. He had not scored a big one in a while but we knew it was just a matter of time before he scored a big one," Salahuddin said. "They (batsmen) showed character and we have almost scored 500 runs now. I hope our bowlers will be able to create opportunities bowling to attacking fields as we have got the runs on the board now. It will be an interesting day three." Sri Lanka's Milan Rathnayake said it was one of the "flattest wickets we have seen in Galle". "It was a tough wicket to bowl on but I thought we did a decent job," Rathnayake said. "When they were building the pressure and taking the attack on to us, it was important to stay calm and show character. I thought after tea we came back stronger to claim five wickets." With rain interrupting play shortly after lunch, only 61 overs could be bowled on day two. A persistent drizzle forced an early tea and fading light ended proceedings prematurely. Play will resume fifteen minutes early on Thursday to compensate for the lost time.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mushfiqur Rahim's unbeaten 141 lifts Bangladesh to 383-4 at lunch on Day 2 against Sri Lanka
Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim plays a shot during the second day of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto signals for a decision review after he was given out during the second day of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das run between the wickets during the second day of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Sri Lanka's Asitha Fernando, second left, celebrates the wicket of Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto during the second day of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, right, leaves the ground after losing his wicket as Mushfiqur Rahim watches during the second day of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, right, leaves the ground after losing his wicket as Mushfiqur Rahim watches during the second day of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim plays a shot during the second day of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto signals for a decision review after he was given out during the second day of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das run between the wickets during the second day of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Sri Lanka's Asitha Fernando, second left, celebrates the wicket of Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto during the second day of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, right, leaves the ground after losing his wicket as Mushfiqur Rahim watches during the second day of the first cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Mushfiqur Rahim was unbeaten on 141 and shared a 74-run partnership with Litton Das to help lift Bangladesh to 383 for four at lunch on Day 2 of the series-opening cricket test against Sri Lanka. The visitors added 91 runs in the morning session Wednesday for the loss of skipper, Najmul Hossain Shanto, who'd led the charge with a sublime 148. Advertisement Shanto and Mushfiqur combined for a 264-run stand for the fourth wicket, falling just three runs short of breaking Bangladesh's all-time fourth-wicket record in tests. It took a moment of brilliance to break the partnership. Shanto, looking to go aerial, was early into his stroke and was out when Angelo Mathews flung himself full length at mid-off to make a diving catch. Shanto's innings was full of patience and placement, laced with 15 boundaries and a towering six. With the scoreboard ticking and Sri Lanka desperate for inroads, wicketkeeper-batter Das picked up right where Shanto left off with a rapid, unbeaten 43 to help consolidate Bangladesh's strong position. Sri Lanka missed some crucial chances against Das. He called for a risky single after Mushfiqur nudged into the covers but the response was sluggish. Dhananjaya de Silva sprinted from slip, gathered the ball cleanly, but fired to the wrong end with both batters at the striker's end. Advertisement Pathum Nissanka dropped a routine chance at short mid-wicket with Das on 14, and the Bangladesh batter responded by hitting three consecutive boundaries. The match at Galle is the first in the 2025-2027 cycle of the World Test Championship, starting just days after South Africa won the title for the first time with a victory over defending champion Australia at Lord's on the weekend. ___ AP cricket:
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Mushfiqur Rahim's unbeaten 141 lifts Bangladesh to 383-4 at lunch on Day 2 against Sri Lanka
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Mushfiqur Rahim was unbeaten on 141 and shared a 74-run partnership with Litton Das to help lift Bangladesh to 383 for four at lunch on Day 2 of the series-opening cricket test against Sri Lanka. The visitors added 91 runs in the morning session Wednesday for the loss of skipper, Najmul Hossain Shanto, who'd led the charge with a sublime 148. Shanto and Mushfiqur combined for a 264-run stand for the fourth wicket, falling just three runs short of breaking Bangladesh's all-time fourth-wicket record in tests. It took a moment of brilliance to break the partnership. Shanto, looking to go aerial, was early into his stroke and was out when Angelo Mathews flung himself full length at mid-off to make a diving catch. Shanto's innings was full of patience and placement, laced with 15 boundaries and a towering six. With the scoreboard ticking and Sri Lanka desperate for inroads, wicketkeeper-batter Das picked up right where Shanto left off with a rapid, unbeaten 43 to help consolidate Bangladesh's strong position. Sri Lanka missed some crucial chances against Das. He called for a risky single after Mushfiqur nudged into the covers but the response was sluggish. Dhananjaya de Silva sprinted from slip, gathered the ball cleanly, but fired to the wrong end with both batters at the striker's end. Pathum Nissanka dropped a routine chance at short mid-wicket with Das on 14, and the Bangladesh batter responded by hitting three consecutive boundaries. The match at Galle is the first in the 2025-2027 cycle of the World Test Championship, starting just days after South Africa won the title for the first time with a victory over defending champion Australia at Lord's on the weekend. ___ AP cricket:
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bangladesh Kick Off New WTC Cycle with Sri Lanka Tour
Bangladesh Kick Off New WTC Cycle with Sri Lanka Tour originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Bangladesh will tour Sri Lanka from June 17 to July 16, 2025, for an all-format cricket series that includes two Tests, three One-Day Internationals, and three Twenty20 Internationals. Advertisement The tour will mark the beginning of the 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship cycle. The Test matches, scheduled for June 17–21 in Galle and June 25–29 in Colombo, will be Bangladesh's opening fixtures in the new WTC campaign. The ODI series will follow on July 2, 5, and 8, with matches in Colombo and Kandy. The T20Is are slated for July 10, 13, and 16 in Kandy, Dambulla, and Colombo, respectively. Bangladesh's Test squad will be led by Najmul Hossain Shanto and includes senior players such as Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. The team also features a strong bowling lineup, including Taijul Islam, Hasan Murad, and Ebadot Hossain. Sri Lanka has named six uncapped players in its Test squad: Lahiru Udara, Sonal Dinusha, Pavan Rathnayake, Tharindu Ratnayake, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, and Isitha Wijesundara as part of efforts to build for the future. The side will be captained by Dhananjaya de Silva. Advertisement Veteran Angelo Mathews is expected to play his final Test in Galle, bringing an end to his red-ball career. This will be the first time the two sides meet across all formats in a bilateral series since 2016. Both teams will use the series to lay a strong foundation for Bangladesh in pursuit of a solid WTC start, and Sri Lanka will focus on long-term development. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Mushfiqur, Shanto end century droughts with gritty tons in Galle
Galle: After a prolonged wait for Test centuries, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim couldn't have wished for better circumstances to turn things around. Perhaps they hoped for friendlier batting surfaces in Sylhet or Chattogram, but those opportunities had come and gone. Instead, under real pressure and on a Galle pitch, the duo rose to the occasion on Tuesday with centuries that were as significant as they were hard-earned, as per ESPNcricinfo. Ahead of the opening Test against Sri Lanka, Shanto had highlighted that Galle tends to offer its best for batters during the first two days, before spin begins to dominate. Yet, Bangladesh found themselves in early trouble at 45/3 on the opening day, with spinner Tharindu Rathnayake and seamer Asitha Fernando striking crucial early blows. What followed was a remarkable recovery. Shanto and Mushfiqur stitched together a resilient 247-run stand for the fourth wicket, both returning unbeaten at stumps, Shanto on 136 and Mushfiqur on 105. For Mushfiqur, this was his 12th Test century and his first in 13 innings since August last year, during which his highest score had been a 40 against Zimbabwe. After the day's play, he reflected on his long-standing association with the Galle International Stadium. He recalled his double century at the same venue twelve years ago, Bangladesh's first-ever in Test cricket. "I think I get a pretty good wicket every time I have played in Galle," he said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. "I have seen how some other Tests here had a lot of purchase for spinners. We knew that one of us out of the seven batters had to capitalize on the first two days in Galle. If I am not wrong, myself and (Mohammad) Ashraful bhai batted the whole day here in 2013. It was my plan this time too; I was telling Shanto that we need to bat the whole day," he added. This was also Mushfiqur's fourth Test hundred against Sri Lanka and his second on Sri Lankan soil. He shared that he had spoken with the younger members of the squad about the nature of Sri Lankan pitches. "After Bangladesh, I (most) love playing in Sri Lanka," Mushfiqur said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. "There is always a sporting wicket, whether it is the red or white ball. If you apply your strength here, you can do well - whether you are a batter, quick bowler or spinner. I was telling this to a few of our young players who are playing their first Test in Galle," he added. "I like to play with wind around. I have to adjust when the newer ball turns a bit, or against the older ball. It is really special to play in Galle. I love batting here," he noted. Still, he admitted that this innings had tested him more than most. Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva frequently shuffled the field and instructed his bowlers to experiment with different angles and lengths, keeping Mushfiqur on edge. He spent a tense 23 deliveries in the 90s before finally reaching his century in the 86th over. "These are not easy runs. I took a lot of time in the nineties, as they were not giving me a freebie," Mushfiqur said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. "It shows that they are a tough side to score against. They made smart bowling changes and field placements. I trust my process when I am batting with control. Usually, we see that our opponents send a fielder to the deep after two or three boundaries. Sri Lanka change their fielding according to the conditions. You have to bat patiently against them," he added. Mushfiqur credited smart strike rotation, especially singles, as a key to disrupting Sri Lanka's plans. He also lauded Shanto for his controlled and commanding innings, noting how his younger teammate never gave the bowlers a real opportunity to break through. "I think rotating the strike is important - maybe as much as hitting fours or sixes," Mushfiqur said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. "Rotation of strike causes problems for the bowlers, especially when there's a left-hander and a right-hander (combination) in the middle. It is very important to pick singles as the fielding side have to constantly change their placements. This is why we are always in training so that we remain fit," he added. "Shanto has been in good form for a pretty long time. He has a good Test record. He is a good batter. It was nothing special. I was really impressed by his control factor today. He scored a hundred in Kandy some years ago, but I thought this was the right approach. It is important to play a chanceless innings, when you are mostly in control. It is going to give confidence to the next batters," he noted. Looking ahead, Mushfiqur emphasized the importance of capitalizing on this strong foundation by batting deep into the second day, a chance, he said, that Bangladesh must seize to put themselves in a commanding position. "It is obviously a satisfying effort. Nobody wants to get any less runs after playing for so many years for your country," he said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
