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Published : 17 Jun 2025, 11:01 AM
Bangladesh have seized control of the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, thanks to a commanding unbroken partnership of 247 between skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim.
After being reduced to 44 for 3 in the morning session on Tuesday, the visitors recovered in emphatic fashion as Shanto remained unbeaten on 136 and Mushfiqur reached stumps on 105 not out.
In the 86th over with the daylight dying, Mushfiqur scraped a single from an inside edge that could have easily hit the stumps but dashed to the other end with the reprieve to complete his 176-ball century with only five boundaries in a rigorous show.
Before that, Shanto reached his century with a gentle sweep for a double and leapt in exuberance as he was rewarded for a patient 260-ball knock. It was also Shanto’s first Test century since November 2023.
Their fourth-wicket stand frustrated a Sri Lankan attack that faded after a promising start.
Having won the toss and elected to bat on a surface offering more to batters than usual in Galle, Bangladesh's optimism was quickly tested.
They lost three wickets inside the first 50 runs, including opener Anamul Haque, who edged seamer Asitha Fernando for a duck, and Shadman Islam (14) and Mominul Haque (29), both dismissed by debutant spinner Tharindu Rathnayake (2-124) in successive deliveries.
But from there, the day belonged to Bangladesh.
Shanto, who had faced only three balls when Mushfiqur joined him, quickly showed intent by charging down the pitch to loft Tharindu over his head, setting the tone for a measured yet assertive innings from both batters -- rotating the strike well and capitalising on any loose deliveries.
Tharindu, despite an encouraging start, was targeted by Shanto in particular, who struck nine of his 14 boundaries off the spinner. Though the debutant eventually settled into a rhythm, the early momentum had already shifted.
Sri Lanka’s bowling, which looked threatening early on, struggled for breakthroughs as the day wore on.
Seamer Milan Rathnayake was the most economical, conceding just 19 runs in 12 tidy overs, but he lacked support at the other end. Prabath Jayasuriya (0-86), expected to be a key figure with the ball for the Islanders, was underused in the early afternoon as the visitors built their platform.
The final session saw Bangladesh accelerate slightly, scoring at nearly 4 runs per over as the Sri Lankan bowlers tired and opted for a more defensive field setting.
On a pitch offering little for the bowlers and with conditions expected to remain favourable for batting, Bangladesh appear well-placed to post a formidable first-innings total.
Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka had marked a special occasion with a guard of honour for Angelo Mathews, who is retiring from Test cricket. The early wickets raised hopes of a strong start to the farewell Test, but Bangladesh's middle order had other ideas.
