Sri Lanka middle-order batsman Roshen Silva criticised the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium pitch and believes a target of 300-plus will be enough for the visiting side to win the second and final Test match.
Bangladesh were bowled out for just 110, losing their last five wickets in just 21 balls. Sri Lanka already have a 312-run lead and still have two wickets in hand. Silva admitted that they had expected another batting wicket for the Dhaka Test.
“We play in similar kind of wickets back home. We just wanted to play as normally as possible. I am not going to say it is a good wicket, but mentally we knew it was going to turn. Thank God I didn’t get out in the first few balls to Mustafizur Rahman. You must have seen it was really bad. I didn’t think that this would happen. I thought it would be a good batting wicket. In the sub-continent when Aussies or other teams come we give this wicket but Sri Lanka have a good spin attack. I don’t know why they gave a wicket like this,” said Silva to the media during the post-day press conference Friday.
After the first Test in the port city, Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karunaratne termed the Chittagong pitch “not good for Test cricket”. This time, Silva also criticised the Dhaka pitch.
“Sometimes maybe with the bad weather we have, we might get a wicket like this in Sri Lanka. But apart from that when people make road back home, they put some sand and another thing, which gives it this colour on the road in Sri Lanka. We don’t get a wicket like this,” he said.
Silva believes Sri Lanka have put enough runs on the board to win the Test, considering the spin-bowling attack they have in their playing XI.
“I don’t think it is possible to get more than 300 runs on this wicket. It is common sense but cricket is a funny game. I think 312 lead is enough. All the batsmen from the Bangladesh team also know this wicket is not going to be easy. We have a much more experienced spin attack. They also have really good bowlers but Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera are very experienced bowlers. Rangana has 400-plus Test wickets; Dilruwan 700 first-class wickets. Suranga [Lakmal] and Akila Dananjaya bowled well too. We are in a good position to win this match,” he concluded.