Bangladesh crush Sri Lanka

Bangladesh reinforced an unwanted record in Tests when they were bundled out for 178 on Day 3 in the second innings of the final Test against Sri Lanka in Chattogram on Monday. 

The dismal effort saw the Tigers extend their tally of getting bundled out below 200 to 102 in 276 innings; a percentage of 36. 96 which is the highest amongst teams to have played more than 10 Tests. Only Afghanistan (50%) and Ireland (37.5%) have a higher percentage in this regard but both are yet to play 10 matches in the format.

Zimbabwe comes in second with a percentage of 31.56 as they posted under 200 totals 71 times in 225 innings.

Bangladesh's batting department has blown hot and cold in recent encounters, particularly against oppositions that have been higher in quality than the Tigers. This was their fifth successive under-200 total and left the hosts staring at another likely defeat.  
 

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva has been rewarded for his Player of the Match heroics during the first Test against Bangladesh by making giant strides on the latest ICC Men's Test Player Rankings.

The Sri Lanka skipper scored twin tons in Sylhet to help his side register a commanding 328-run victory over their Asian rival and in the process rose to a new career-high rating on the updated rankings for Test batters.

De Silva shot up a whopping 15 places to 14th overall following scores of 102 and 108, with the 32-year-old improving to a best-ever figure of 695 rating points to be within just 40 rating points of breaking into the top 10 Test batters in the world.

Kamindu Mendis also contributed twin tons during the first Test against Bangladesh and the left-hander re-entered the rankings for Test batters in equal 64th place following an eye-catching performance in what was just his second Test appearance.

Veteran left-hander Mominul Haque played a lone hand for Bangladesh with an unbeaten 87* in the second innings in Sylhet and rose eight places to 50th on the list for Test batters as a result.

There was more joy for Sri Lanka's players on the updated rankings for Test bowlers, with right-arm quick Kasun Rajitha among the biggest movers following his five-wicket haul in the second innings against Bangladesh.

It helped Rajitha move up six places to 38th overall, while teammates Vishwa Fernando (up seven spots to 43rd) and Lahiru Kumara (up six rungs to equal 46th) also made some ground following impressive performances with the ball.

India duo Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin maintain their spots at the head of the Test rankings for all-rounders, with Bangladesh spinner Mehidy Hasan (up one place to 14th) and de Silva (up five spots to equal 25th) the notable movers this week.

Bangladesh team's assistant coach Nic Pothas yesterday said the Test team's batting unit is going through a rebuilding stage and everyone needs to remain patient, a statement that contradicts what other important figures of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had said in the days prior. 

"We have a very young and inexperienced group. There was a very elite group before this. Now we have to build. The only thing that we request is that people are patient," Pothas said at the pre-match press conference ahead of the second Test in Chattogram between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka starting today.

"These are very good young players, but they are young and they're playing against an experienced team and it will take time to learn lessons," he added.
Pothas also likened the young batters in the Test team to school-going children, indicating that they are still learning how to play cricket at the Test level.

"We wouldn't expect any different from our children when we put them into new environments. We don't expect our kids to suddenly be experts. That's why they go to school. So, they [the batters] are a fantastic group, and let's judge them in two years' time rather than now."

However, Pothas' plea for patience contradicted a recent statement made by national team selector Abdur Razzak, who blasted the batting performance of the Tigers after they were reduced to 47 for 5 at stumps on Day 3 of the Sylhet Test, chasing 511.

"There is no point in saying that this player is young or that player still hasn't settled in the team. They were picked because they have the ability to handle such situations," Razzak said.

Not just Razzak, BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon also expressed his disappointment with the batting display recently.

"They are not children who have been suddenly sent to the ground. They don't have to be told everything. All of them know it," Papon told the media on Tuesday.

This contradiction is a bad sign for the team overall as this indicates that there is a difference in point of view among important figures of the board about the reason behind Bangladesh's embarrassing 328-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the first Test. Pothas' statement indicates that the Tigers folding for 188 and 182 in the two innings of the Sylhet Test was due to the inexperience in the batting unit while the selector and the BCB president in their statements refused to accept it as an excuse.
Moreover, calling Bangladesh's batting unit in the Sylhet Test 'young and inexperienced' doesn't ring true entirely considering four out of the top seven batters had more than 50 Test innings under their belt.

The inexperienced trio in the batting unit were Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, and Shahadat Hossain Dipu. Out of them, Joy and Zakir are Bangladesh's preferred opening pair in Tests right now with Tamim Iqbal not in the picture.

Meanwhile, in the same Test, Sri Lanka's most inexperienced batter was Kamindu Mendis, having played just one Test prior. But his inexperience didn't stop him from scoring a century in both innings as the young batter showed the aptitude needed to make runs in Tests. Perhaps, it would be better for the hosts to focus less on inexperience and more on the glaring lack in Test mindset.

Bangladesh dropped down to sixth in the latest ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 standings following their 328-run loss in the first of the three-match series against Sri Lanka in Sylhet on Monday.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have made a significant move up the standings in their first-ever Test assignment at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium

This was Sri Lanka's eighth away Test win over the hosts, maintaining their impeccable record unbeaten record in Tests in Bangladesh – on three occasions, their engagements there have ended in draws.

The result lifted Sri Lanka from the bottom of the WTC standings to joint-sixth with Bangladesh. Sri Lanka were at the bottom with 0 points while Bangladesh were at No.4 with 12 points after two games and a points percentage of 50.

The outcome resulted in Sri Lanka securing 12 points in three games and a points percentage of 33.33, ahead of South Africa (25 per cent) and England (17.50 per cent), who are currently at the bottom of the table.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka both have the same number of points (12) and points percentage (33.33) at joint-sixth.

Pakistan have moved up one spot to No.4 with a 36.66 points percentage, while West Indies, who share a similar points percentage with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, have moved up to No.5 with a higher points tally of 16.

Bangladesh resumed the day on 47/5, with Mominul Haque and Taijul Islam in the middle. In the third over of the day, Sri Lanka's Kasun Rajitha had Islam trapped in front for 6.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz then joined Haque, and together they started to rebuild Bangladesh's innings. The duo stitched together a fighting stand of 66 runs, before Rajitha snared his second wicket of the day, sending Miraz back for 33. The hosts went to Lunch on 129/7, needing another 382 runs.

Mominul kept his fight on but with only three wickets remaining, it became increasingly apparent that Bangladesh was headed for a defeat. Shortly after the lunch break, Rajitha claimed two more wickets to complete his five-wicket haul - his second in Test cricket.

The left-handed batter stood out as the sole fighter, scoring 87*, as Bangladesh succumbed to defeat. The two sides will meet for the final clash of the tour, the second Test in Chattogram, starting 30 March.