Ding -dong battle as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka go toe to toe in Test Championship opener. -BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE. (eLanka Sports Editor).
Pathum Nissanka led a spirited Sri Lanka reply after Bangladesh took the early initiative by smashing Sri Lanka’s bowling to amassed 495 in Galle.
The unpredictability of the Galle strip showed no signs of the treacherous spin and turn it is renowned for as Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, 248 off 279 balls and Mushfiqur Rahim, 163 off 350 deliveries, galloped to centuries with veteran Liton Das joining in, smashing 90 with no trouble putting Sri Lanka on the backfoot and struggling to save face.
But in extraordinary batting at this venue, Nissanka, 187, Dinesh Chandimal, 54, retiring veteran Angelo Matthews, 39, Lahiru Udara 29 and a cameo by Kamindu Mendis, 87, steered Sri Lanka to ten runs short of the imposing Bangladesh total, setting the stage for an even contest if the wicket takes treacherous turn like it used to.
Sri Lanka ended day three with six wickets intact and 137 runs behind but collapsed sensationally in a show of the predictable deterioration of the surface which if it plays out to the norm, sets up a riveting end to the Test.
But Sri Lanka’s bowling in the second innings holds the key to saving this Test.
Sri Lanka’s motivation will be around retiring hero Angelo Matthews who has announced his retirement from Tests after this series.
Matthews who Captained Sri Lanka, and had been the backbone of his team in all formats, has called time on a memorable career in the longer version, leaving the Test team in reasonable shaoe going forward.
The opener for the Test Championship for 2026 sees Sri Lanka looking for an early headstart at home. But Bangladesh have indicated they are serious to unsettle those plans with a fiercely competitive squad.
Historically, Galle has proved to be a batters nightmare going into the last two days. But something appears to have changed in its make-up going by the huge totals so far.
Galle used to be Sri Lanka’s favourite venue where it’s dusty slow surface has been a spinners delight. This was until Australia unravelled its secrets, batting first and spinning the locals out in an unexpected boomerang effect.
The Aussies destroyed the myth of it being an impregnable fortress for the locals, and now the rest have copied their blueprint.
Time for Sri Lanka’s coaching staff to have a plan B you’d expect going forward or face the embarrassment of being outplayed in their own backyard.
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