Visitors Bangladesh will look for revival from their recent lows in the longest format when they take on hosts Sri Lanka in the first of two-match Test series at Pallakele International Stadium in Kandy Wednesday.
Bangladesh started the year with a 2-0 series defeat at home against the West Indies, while on their tour of New Zealand, the performance tally worsened.
Speaking of performance in all formats, Bangladesh will go into the series with Sri Lanka on the back of eight straight defeats in international matches.
The tourists missing ace all-rounder Shakib al Hasan, who chose to play Indian Premier League and not for Bangladesh in this series, will face a tough task of balancing the playing XI.
Shakib’s absence means the team come up short by either a batsman or a bowler.
Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and captain Mominul Haque will be the three names the side will rely upon heavily in the batting department.
The Bangladesh cricket team reached Kandy Monday afternoon for the two-match Test series against hosts Sri Lanka Cricket.
Posted by Sports Tribune on Monday, 19 April 2021
Tamim will be partnered by either Shadman Islam or Saif Hasan to open the innings.
Left-handed batsman Shadman had come back into the national fold recovering from injury and his experience, of seven Tests, will keep him ahead of Saif for selection in the XI.
“There is never an end to expectation. It can never be that you have travelled to this country for participation only. It is better not to play cricket if it is that way. Irrespective of where you are touring or the condition you should always hope to win. We will get into the field with that hope,” said Mominul in the pre-match virtual press conference Tuesday.
The game at Pallekele will be expected to be a battle of the pacers, which apparently goes against the tradition of the venue.
Mominul has been open about his planning on relying heavily on the pace unit, more on the experienced ones in the shape of Taskin Ahmed, Abu Jayed Rahi and Ebadat Hossain, and Sri Lanka have followed suit with the inclusion of five pacers and just one full-time spinner in the squad.
Sri Lanka have their struggles to walk out from.
Bangladesh Test captain Mominul Haque is not worried of the actions likely to come from the board against him and the...
Posted by Sports Tribune on Tuesday, 20 April 2021
They faced a 2-0 defeat in the home series against England in January this year, while the two Tests in the West Indies in March-April both finished in draws.
Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews will be the experienced campaigners in the batting unit, while Lahiru Thirimanne's three half-centuries against the West Indies will boost confidence to do better at home.
Mathews returns to the series after missing the tour of the West Indies.
With the ball, pacer Suranga Lakmal will be expected to lead the front backed by his recent performance against the West Indies.
The right-arm pacer grabbed the Player of the Series award with his 11 scalps and the condition at Pallekele, expected to aid the pacers, should work as an encouragement.
The game will begin at 10:30am Bangladesh standard time.
Bangladesh XI (likely):
Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque (C), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das (WK), Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Ebadat Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Jayed