In the drawn Galle Test, Sri Lanka was on the verge of taking a lead in the second innings, thanks to an 84-run partnership between Kamindu Mendis and Milan Rathnayake. But after the lunch break on Day 4, Nayeem Hasan arrived with a spin masterclass. The off-spinner took three of Sri Lanka’s last four wickets, earning his first-ever five-wicket haul in an overseas Test.
Following Nayeem’s brilliant performance, Bangladesh’s team management faces a selection dilemma ahead of the second Test, which begins Wednesday in Colombo. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who missed the first Test due to illness, is set to return. To play both Miraz and Nayeem, the team would need to go with a three-spinner combination, potentially reducing the number of pacers by one.
Coach Phil Simmons has emphasized that the final playing XI will be decided after examining the Colombo pitch conditions. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the Caribbean coach said, “The wicket looked good. I haven’t seen it today yet, but based on what I saw yesterday, it looked fine.”
Historically spin-friendly, Colombo’s pitch—much like Galle—tends to offer assistance to batters over the first two days, with spinners becoming the game-changers as the match progresses. Considering this, deciding between three spinners or three pacers remains a tough call, something Simmons openly acknowledged.
On the possibility of leaving Nayeem out of the XI, Simmons said, “Nayeem had a fantastic game in Galle. Leaving him out would be tough. But everyone understands that team selection depends on conditions. We always try to ensure the best decision is made for the team, with everyone considered equally.”