The day began with the kind of rhythm that hinted at redemption. But as the sun climbed over Colombo and shadows stretched across the pitch, that fragile calm gave way to chaos once more.
Anamul Haque Bijoy looked out of place from the very first ball he faced. Ten deliveries of discomfort ended with an inside edge that kissed the stumps — Asitha Fernando struck early, silencing any hopes of a confident start. Ironically, Bijoy had already survived a scare in the same over: a thick edge falling short of second slip after Kusal Mendis missed an earlier one behind the stumps. Luck teased him. Form didn’t.
As Bangladesh reeled, Shadman Islam and Mominul Haque stepped in with the steadiness of men trying to build something that might last. Ball by ball, they stitched together a recovery. At the 10-over mark, the Tigers had only 12 runs on the board, but they hadn’t lost their heads. Test temperament slowly returned.
Then came the 11th over — and with it, the edges and escapes. Both Shadman and Mominul offered chances in consecutive deliveries off Tharindu Ratnayake. Mominul nicked one that bounced low towards slip. Shadman’s drive kissed danger but stayed just out of reach. The scoreboard didn’t move dramatically, but the tension did.
Eventually, tension gave in.
It was Dhananjaya de Silva — with the ball in hand for the first time in the 17th over — who struck gold. A short-of-length delivery on the offside lured Mominul into a drive. The result: a simple catch in the covers. He walked off after scoring 21 from 39, and a 38-run stand with Shadman came to an abrupt end.
The morning ended without further damage, as Najmul Hossain Shanto joined Shadman to steer the ship through to Lunch. Bangladesh had reached 71/2, with 26 overs played in the opening session.
But Colombo does not forgive for long.
In the second session, collapse arrived swiftly. Asitha Fernando returned and prised out Shanto for just 8. Shortly after, Ratnayake got his reward, dismissing a well-set Shadman Islam on 46 — the anchor unmoored, the Tigers adrift again.
From 71/2 to 88/4 — a slide as sudden as it was predictable. A scorecard now telling a tale of squandered starts and fading hopes. As the day stretches on and the Galle surface begins to wear, Bangladesh find themselves deeper in trouble than they began.