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Tuesday, June 24, 2025    Updated 5h ago ePaper










Tigers’ imperatives for success in Colombo

Tigers’ imperatives for success in Colombo

As Bangladesh prepares to lock horns with Sri Lanka once more, with the second Test commencing at the Colombo SSC cricket ground on Wednesday, the drawn encounter in Galle provides a crucial blueprint for both progress and areas for improvement. With June 26th, this Thursday, marking a quarter-century of Test cricket for Bangladesh, the upcoming match offers a truly momentous opportunity to secure a historic series victory.While glimpses of brilliance were certainly on display in Galle, the Tigers have clear areas to refine if they are to convert promising positions into decisive wins. The early collapse in Galle, at 45 for three, underscored a persistent Achilles' heel. Openers and the number three batsman simply must provide a more robust foundation, soaking up pressure from the new ball and preventing the all-too-frequent early breakthroughs that expose the middle order. While Shanto and Mushfiqur's centuries were magnificent, Litton Das's dismissal on 90, followed by the rapid decline, highlights a need for other established batsmen to convert their starts into truly substantial scores; the tail also needs to show greater resilience.The timing of the declaration in Galle, leaving only 37 overs for the chase, raised eyebrows. While rain was a factor, Captain Shanto and the team management will need to be more astute and perhaps bolder with declarations in Colombo, especially if they build a significant lead. They must back their bowlers to take 20 wickets within the available time. Though Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan offered flashes of incisiveness, particul...

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