After a rocky start in the morning session, Bangladesh turned the tide in emphatic fashion during the afternoon of day one in the opening Test against Sri Lanka. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim led a gritty recovery, guiding the visitors to 182 for 3 at Tea with an unbroken 92-run partnership.
Resuming from 90 for 3, the pair looked composed and unbothered by Sri Lanka’s spin-heavy attack. Save for a fleeting half-chance when Rahim was on 25, the duo batted with complete authority, blending caution with calculated aggression on a pitch that has remained largely benign.
Though the odd delivery turned, the Galle surface offered little consistent threat. With the ball softening and bounce mellowing, batting became increasingly comfortable. Shanto and Rahim made full use of the conditions — their footwork was assured, their shot selection precise. They rotated the strike cleverly, keeping the scoreboard ticking with singles and the occasional boundary.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers, particularly spinners Tharindu Ratnayake and Prabath Jayasuriya, found it difficult to maintain any pressure. Bangladesh’s positive intent didn’t allow them to settle, with just one maiden bowled across 30 overs in the session — a telling stat that underlines the visitors’ control.
It was a session of hard toil for the hosts, who now face the challenge of striking early in the evening to prevent Bangladesh from running away with the game. Given Bangladesh’s history of middle-order collapses, Sri Lanka will still feel a breakthrough after Tea could trigger a shift in momentum.
But for now, the honours of the session — and the momentum of the match — firmly belong to Bangladesh.