by
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The first Test in Galle ended in a dramatic draw despite Bangladesh’s spirited effort. In Angelo Mathews’ final Test, the Tigers gave their all but couldn’t clinch victory against Sri Lanka. Setting a target of 296 runs in 37 overs, Bangladesh pushed hard, but Sri Lanka survived with 4 wickets down. The lingering question for the Tigers: could the declaration have come earlier?
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto led from the front, scoring centuries in both innings—148 in the first and an unbeaten 125 in the second. He became the 15th batter in Test history to score twin centuries in a match and the first Bangladeshi to achieve this feat twice.
However, Bangladesh’s slow batting during Shanto’s second hundred drew scrutiny. After rain interruptions, they batted 11 more overs before declaring. It took nearly 50 balls to score just 19 runs as Shanto reached his century. Only then did they accelerate, scoring 28 runs in 16 balls, including three sixes from Shanto. By then, the spin-friendly pitch was evident, but time was short.
In Sri Lanka’s second innings, Taijul Islam and Naim Hasan bowled superbly. Taijul took three wickets, including Mathews and Chandimal, while Naim dismissed first-innings centurion Nishanka (187). But time ran out to claim the remaining wickets. With a turning pitch, an extra session might have brought victory. For Bangladesh, it’s now a matter of ‘what-ifs.’
AI/MR
