Although it’s said, “Morning shows the day”, but captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim just made it wrong in the first day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle International Cricket Stadium on on Tuesday.
At the morning, when Bangladesh felt into trouble with losing first wicket with the scoreboard reading only five runs and tumbled on 45 for three by 16.1 overs with another two batters getting out in quick successions, Shanto and Mushfique ended the day with impressive way.
The first hour or so of play on the first day belonged to Sri Lanka but after that, it was all Bangladesh as Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim
stitched together a 247-run fourth-wicket stand, the highest for the fourth wicket stand of Bangladesh against Sri Lanka.
The massive partnership helped Mushfiqur to get rid of his long bat patch and notched his 12th Test ton, and his first in 14 innings, while Shanto completed his sixth Test ton. Thanks to the unbroken partnership Bangladesh seized control of Day one. However, at the crucial time the current captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto and his predecessor Mushfiqur Rahim just turned the tide with rescuing the team from enormous trouble with striking century and being not on to end the Day one on 292 for three for Bangladesh.
The captain duo (former and current) showed their stalwart approach denied the Lankan bowlers initial attacks who cut through Bangladesh top order in a batter-friendly nature of the pitch of the Galle Stadium.
Shanto was batting on 136 with Mushfiqur on 106 and ended the day.
However, when Mushfiqur joined Shanto, he (Shanto) had faced just three deliveries, it took him only three more deliveries get his confidence and to through out the nervousness by the situation and kept his cool, skipping down the track and hitting one back over Tharindu's head. That set the tone of aggression and displayed resolute confidence.
In their almost chanceless innings, they dominated the Lankan bowlers in style with Mushfiqur who averaged almost 55 against Sri Lanka.
Mushfiqur, who also has a double ton against Sri Lanka at this very venue, which came back in 2013, this was his fourth century against Sri Lanka.
The former captain, who looked a bit nervous when the right-hander was in the 90s, got to the three-figure mark off 176 deliveries, having smashed just five boundaries. His ton came after skipper Shanto also reached the three-figure mark, his second ton against Sri Lanka.
Shanto was particularly strong against the spinners, who led by debutant
Tharindu Rathnayake caused Bangladesh's initial trouble.
Shanto struck Rathnayake the only six of the innings and grew with confidence
that took him on the verge of his first century since 2023.
