The ongoing second Test between Bangladesh and hosts Sri Lanka at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium is being termed as "carbon copy" to the first game of the series.
The wicket at PICS was the center of discussion after the first game had finished in a draw, and the situation remains the same as the batsmen continued their dominance in the second match.
It was widely rumored the track at PICS will make a strong comeback to make things interesting in the series decider, and particularly after it had received one demerit point for being below average in the first Test.
But as it happened, home team Sri Lanka went to bat first after winning the toss in the second game and the top-order batsmen made it their show.
Openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne got the side off to a solid start, scoring a century each.
Sri Lanka captain Karunaratne was the only wicket Bangladesh bowlers could pick on the day after the left-handed batsman fell to debutant left-arm pacer Shariful Islam scoring 118 runs, his 12th Test century.
The dismissal broke the opening stand on 209 runs.
Karunaratne was lucky to survive on 28 runs after Nazmul Hossain Shanto at slip dropped a genuine chance in Taskin Ahmed’s over in the first session.
Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC - International Cricket Council Elite Panel of Match Referees has rated the...
Posted by Sports Tribune on Wednesday, 28 April 2021
Thirimanne remained unbeaten on 131 with Oshada Fernando on 40 as Sri Lanka posted 291 for one at stumps on day one.
The manner the game has progressed so far, Bangladesh batting coach Jon Lewis said they need to be ready for another long day of fielding, and likened the situation to that of the first Test of the series.
“We need to be (ready for a long day of fielding). I think it is a bit of a mirror image of the first Test. Although the pitch was good, we hoped to apply scoreboard pressure but Sri Lanka dealt with it very well. We have to learn from that, and do the same. It seems like that Sri Lanka will get a big score,” said Lewis to the media at a virtual press conference Thursday.
“We will spend at least another couple of sessions in the field, and it is something we have to deal with. The pitch still looks good at the moment, and we have to deal with the fact that they have a score on the board. We have some batsmen with good form behind them after the first Test,” the former English cricketer further said.
Apart from Shariful’s maiden wicket in the longest format, Bangladesh had mostly been on the back foot on the day.
Questions were raised with regards to the body language inside the field when the day went into the second session, and which deteriorated as the game progressed.
“It is easy to be critical. Not many chances were created (Thursday). In fact in both Tests, it was tough to create too many chances around the bat. It is important on these surfaces that you make the most of the opportunities that the bowlers create. We probably missed one or two, and guys work hard on their fielding. It is a case of making it count in the middle. Maybe we did miss one or two (Thursday). Not ideal, but it is not due to lack of effort or attention to detail or practice. It is probably due to the fact that we are dealing with human beings here,” Lewis explained.
