After eight long years, Bangladesh came agonizingly close to defeating Sri Lanka in a Test match. Though the match ended in a draw, Bangladesh displayed remarkable dominance throughout. Nazmul Hossain Shanto stole the spotlight with centuries in both innings. Riding on his second-innings century, Bangladesh set Sri Lanka a target of 296 runs. Shanto remained unbeaten on 148 in the first innings and 125 in the second.
Who knows—had the fifth day’s play gone uninterrupted, the result might have favored Bangladesh. But due to rain interruptions, over three hours of play were lost, and the outcome was more or less decided with half a day still to go. In the end, Bangladesh had to settle for a draw despite being so close to victory.
Naturally, a few questions arise after the match. Could Bangladesh have declared their second innings at around a 250-run lead instead of pushing close to 300, giving their bowlers more time to bowl out Sri Lanka? Also, had the batters scored a bit quicker early in the second innings, might the result have been different? These are thoughts fans may ponder.
Still, even if one is satisfied with the draw, it would be understandable. The national team had been at a low point in terms of confidence after drawing a home series against Zimbabwe and suffering series defeats to the UAE and Pakistan. From there, to come out and play dominant cricket for five days away from home and secure a draw is no small feat.
This Galle Test marked the beginning of a new cycle in the World Test Championship. While it wasn’t quite a dream start for Bangladesh, considering the context, they can be satisfied with how they performed.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Bangladesh took control early on. A pair of centuries from Mushfiqur Rahim (163) and Nazmul Hossain Shanto (148), along with a fighting 90 from Liton Das, helped them post a commanding first-innings total of 495.
Sri Lanka, however, responded strongly. With a brilliant 187 from Pathum Nissanka and a valuable 87 from Kamindu Mendis, they reached 485. Spinner Nayeem Hasan claimed five wickets to stop the Lankans from surpassing Bangladesh’s score.
With a slim 10-run lead, Bangladesh looked to build again in their second innings. Opener Sadman Islam gave them a solid start with 76, and Shanto followed up with a second consecutive century (125), helping set a substantial lead. Bangladesh eventually set a target of 296 for Sri Lanka.
In response, the hosts managed 72 for 4 before play was called off. Spinner Taijul Islam sparked some late hope by removing three top-order Sri Lankan batters for just 23 runs. But in the end, time ran out, and the match concluded in a draw.
