Shakib key as Tigers look to bounce back
The first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Sylhet was played on a rather pace-friendly wicket, but as the two-match series moves to Chattogram, conditions are expected to be a lot different.
Chattogram usually produces runs, and for Bangladesh, spin has been the weapon of choice at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. However, for the struggling Bangladesh top-order along with the bowlers, it would be about adjusting to changes Chattogram has on the offing.
The condition in the port city is overcast with rain clouds hovering above, but that may not be enough for the Tigers' pace unit to smile about as the temperature and humidity remain challenging.
"Whatever the conditions are, we have to adapt to be flexible to them," Bangladesh assistant coach Nic Pothas, who will be the interim head coach in Chandika Hathurusingha's absence, said in the press conference yesterday.
In the Sylhet Test, especially in the second innings, the Tigers needed to wait for the second new ball to make breakthroughs and even then, spinners did the talking.
With Shakib Al Hasan back, the spin department, also including Mehedi Hasan and Taijul Islam, will be further bolstered. It could also see Bangladesh go with two pacers, and three spinners – a change from the three-pacer and two-spinner combination in Sylhet.
Shakib, who had not bowled a lot of overs against Ireland in the last Test he played over a year ago, will, however, not feel any less confident with the ball in hand as the star all-rounder has been up to speed, thanks to a few outings in the ongoing Dhaka Premier League.
Shakib is also the highest wicket-taker in Tests at the ground, scalping 64 wickets in 19 matches. Given the spinners' experience, the Tigers' think tank may feel there is an edge to be exploited given Lankan spinners' relative inexperience. However, how Tigers' batters fare would be a bigger concern.
In Mushfiqur Rahim's absence, Shakib will also offer the touch of experience the Tigers definitely craved in their 328-run drubbing in the Sylhet Test.
The bulk of the runs for Sri Lanka in the Sylhet Test were made by their middle and lower-middle order -- mostly by skipper Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Menis, both of whom struck centuries in each of the innings. Given the form of the Lankans' middle-order, it remains to be seen how much the Tigers spinners can hold sway if the presumption about the Chattogram surface being conducive to spin holds true.
Sparks may also fly. Sri Lanka's Angelo Matthews has not yet attended a press conference in this tour but in Shakib's presence, the 'timed-out' incident from World Cup 2023 which resurfaced in the form of its enactment in the preceding ODI and T20I series, could find new grounds.
"The important thing for us as a management group is to manage the mood of the group and as long as we are level, then we will learn. But we certainly aren't an emotional group and it's not an emotional change room," Pothas said.
Lankan skipper Dhananjaya de Silva expected a batting-friendly wicket. When asked about what kind of intent his side were expecting from Bangladesh, he said: "If they come hard, we will go hard. If they keep calm, we will keep calm."
Regarding Shakib, he said: "Why should I talk about him? He's not in my team."
But from Bangladesh's perspective, Shakib will perhaps be the key to adapt and transform.
Key stats
*Bangladesh have only two wins to their name in 23 Tests at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) in Chattogram. The Tigers have lost 19 and drawn seven. The two wins came against Zimbabwe in 2014 and West Indies in 2018 respectively.
*Shakib Al Hasan holds the record for most wickets taken in Tests at ZACS, with 64 in 19 Tests. The star all-rounder is 22 runs away from completing 1,000 runs at the venue.
*Mominul Haque averages 63.42 at ZACS as he amassed 1205 runs in 22 innings. The left-hander has seven centuries and fifty to his name at the venue and is 25 runs away from 4,000 Test runs.
*Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando picked up a 10-wicket haul in his last Test outing against the Tigers. His effort helped the Lankans to a 10-wicket win in Mirpur in May 2022.