- News
- Sports News
- Cricket News
- SL vs BAN Highlights, 2nd Test Day 1 at Colombo
SL vs BAN Highlights, 2nd Test Day 1 at Colombo
The team's positive momentum stems from their impressive start in the first Test, marking a departure from their typically slow series beginnings.
"There's a lot of confidence from the way we played. Often, we're a bit slow to start in the first Test of a series, but this time, we hit the ground running. That gives us a lot of belief going into the second Test," Simmons told reporters.
The coach praised the team's preparation and spirit following the draw in Galle.
"The morale has been excellent from the start. The guys did their work in Dhaka so that we could hit the ground running here. The draw in Galle was a solid result, and we've recovered well in the three days since. Spirits are high."
Simmons shared his assessment of the playing conditions and team readiness.
"It looks like a good wicket so far. I haven't seen it today, but from what we saw yesterday, it looked decent. Tomorrow, we'll come in and look to play as hard as we did in Galle. There are a few little things we want to improve on, and it's important that we either maintain or elevate the level we showed in the first Test."
The team's physical and mental preparation has been notable.
"The players are doing well. Playing good cricket lifts the mood, and we've had a decent break between Tests. They're mentally strong and physically ready. We're up for the challenge," he added.
Bangladesh faces a selection dilemma regarding their bowling lineup, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz expected to return after missing the first Test due to fever.
"That decision will be made later today, depending on what we see in the pitch. We've just arrived at the ground, so we need to assess the conditions first before deciding on team balance, whether we go with three seamers or three spinners," said Simmons.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Pathum Nissanka, Oh..close! Tossed up, full and on off, turns in, Pathum Nissanka prods forward to block but gets an inside edge onto his pads as the ball pops up but falls on the pitch.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Pathum Nissanka, Short again and on off, Pathum Nissanka stays back and pulls it towards deep mid-wicket. The ball drops on the outfield and loses its momentum, giving the deep square leg fielder the chance to cut it out. Two taken.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Pathum Nissanka, Short and in middle, Pathum Nissanka pats it to short mid-wicket.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to continue from the other end.
- Pathum Nissanka 45 (70)
- Lahiru Udara 40 (62)
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, Just wide! Slows it up, full and on off, turns away, Pathum Nissanka looks to push it away but gets an outside edge well wide of first slip for three runs.
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, Flatter, full and on middle, Pathum Nissanka taps it to the off side.
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, On off, kept out.
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, Flighted, full and on middle, Pathum Nissanka defends it on the front foot.
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, Floated, full and on off, Pathum Nissanka fends it away.
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, Tossed up, full and on middle, Pathum Nissanka blocks it out.
We are back for the second session! The players are already out in the middle now. Pathum Nissanka and Lahiru Udara to resume batting for Sri Lanka. Taijul Islam to start proceedings with the ball. Here we go...
... DAY 2, SESSION 2 ...
Bangladesh could only add 27 runs to their overnight total, with a few late blows coming from Taijul Islam. However, they’ll be disappointed with how their bowlers started the day. The pacers struggled to find their rhythm and ended up conceding runs at a steady pace. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul brought some control later in the session, bowling well in tandem, and Taijul even came close to a breakthrough, only to be denied by umpire’s call. Bangladesh will need to make good use of the break to regroup and reassess their plans. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will look to stretch this opening partnership as much as possible. Join us at 7.10 AM GMT for all the action after Lunch.
SESSION SUMMARY - 110 runs and 2 wickets in 29.3 overs! Sri Lanka completely bossed the morning session and have taken control of the Test. It didn’t take them long to wrap up the remaining two Bangladesh wickets. Their openers, Pathum Nissanka and Lahiru Udara, then came out with positive intent, and with Bangla struggling to maintain discipline with the ball, they scored freely. Both batters remained unbeaten in their 40s, and the deficit has now been cut down to just 164 runs.
- Pathum Nissanka 42 (64)
- Lahiru Udara 40 (62)
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Pathum Nissanka, A bit of a mix-up but no harm done! Quicker, short and on off, Pathum Nissanka runs it down to short third and sets off for the run. Both the batters at one moment get stranded halfway down the crease, but they make thier ground in the end. THAT WILL BE LUNCH ON DAY 2!
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Lahiru Udara, A bit short and on off, Lahiru Udara steers it towards cover-point for one.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Lahiru Udara, Oh..close! Flighted, full and on middle and off, turns in, Lahiru Udara looks to push it away but gets an inside edge that just flies past short leg.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Lahiru Udara, Tossed up, full and on middle, Lahiru Udara taps it out to short covers.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Pathum Nissanka, Floated, full and on off, Pathum Nissanka opens the face of his bat and guides it through point for a single.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Pathum Nissanka, Flatter, full and on off, Pathum Nissanka blocks it out.
- Lahiru Udara 39 (59)
- Pathum Nissanka 40 (61)
Taijul Islam to Lahiru Udara, Short again and on off, Lahiru Udara moves back to punch it away but stabs it out on the pitch.
Taijul Islam to Lahiru Udara, Goes short and on middle, Lahiru Udara flicks it off the back foot through mid-wicket for a brace. The runs have dried up significantly.
Taijul Islam to Lahiru Udara, Flighted, full and on middle and leg, Lahiru Udara defends it on the front foot.
Taijul Islam to Lahiru Udara, Flatter, short and on middle, turns away quickly. Lahiru Udara moves back and just about gets his bat in line to keep it out.
Taijul Islam to Lahiru Udara, Floated, full and on middle, Lahiru Udara uses his feet and drives it to covers.
Taijul Islam to Lahiru Udara, Tossed up, full and on middle and off, Lahiru Udara taps it to short covers.
- Lahiru Udara 37 (53)
- Pathum Nissanka 40 (61)
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Lahiru Udara, Drags his length back, on off, Lahiru Udara pats it towards covers for one more.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Lahiru Udara, Tossed up, full and on off, Lahiru Udara defends it on the front foot.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Pathum Nissanka, Another short delivery, on middle, Pathum Nissanka pats it towards long on for another run.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Lahiru Udara, Goes short again, on middle, Lahiru Udara flicks it off the back foot through square leg for a run.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Lahiru Udara, Floated, full and around off, Lahiru Udara goes down across to sweep but misses and gets hit on the pads. An appeal for LBW, but turned down. Impact well outside off.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Pathum Nissanka, Short and on middle, Pathum Nissanka punches it to long on for a single.
- Lahiru Udara 35 (49)
- Pathum Nissanka 38 (59)
Taijul Islam to Lahiru Udara, BEAUTY! Slower through the air, full and on middle, grips and turns away, Lahiru Udara has a poke at it but gets beaten on the outside edge.
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, Looped up, full and on off, Pathum Nissanka uses his feet and eases it to long off for one.
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, Slows it up, full and on off, Pathum Nissanka defends it on the front foot.
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, Flighted, full and on middle, Pathum Nissanka fends it away.
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, Flatter, full and on middle, Pathum Nissanka moves back and keeps it out to the leg side.
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, Tossed up, full and on middle, Pathum Nissanka blocks it out.
- Lahiru Udara 35 (48)
- Pathum Nissanka 37 (54)
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Lahiru Udara, Looped up, full and on middle, Lahiru Udara is solid in his defense.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Lahiru Udara, Short and on leg, Lahiru Udara flicks it to square leg.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Lahiru Udara, Tossed up, full and on middle, Lahiru Udara tucks it to mid-wicket.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Lahiru Udara, Flatter, full and on off, Lahiru Udara goes down for the reverse sweep but misses and gets hit on the pads. A slight appeal for LBW, but turned down.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Lahiru Udara, Flighted, full and on off, Lahiru Udara drills it through covers for a couple of more runs.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Lahiru Udara, Floated, full and around off, Lahiru Udara strides out and drives it firmly towards sweeper covers for a brace.
- Lahiru Udara 31 (42)
- Pathum Nissanka 37 (54)
Taijul Islam to Lahiru Udara, Flighted, full and on off, Lahiru Udara drives it through cover-point for one.
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, Short again and outside off, Pathum Nissanka cuts it hard but straight towards point where a fumble allows a run.
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, Goes short and on middle, Pathum Nissanka pats it back to the bowler.
Taijul Islam to Lahiru Udara, Floated, full and around off, Lahiru Udara steers it to through point for a run.
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, Just short! Tossed up, full and on off, turns away, Pathum Nissanka drives it a bit uppishly. The fielder at silly point dives forward but the ball falls well in front of him. A single taken.
Taijul Islam to Pathum Nissanka, Flatter, short and on off, Pathum Nissanka stabs it to point.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, will take plenty of confidence into the second Test. They were the more likely of the two teams to force a result in Galle and will arrive in Colombo with real belief that they can convert their momentum into a victory. Considering their remaining away fixtures are against WTC 2025 finalists Australia and South Africa, any points earned here could prove vital.
The Test in Colombo also marks the beginning of a new chapter for Sri Lanka, being their first since the retirement of veteran Angelo Mathews. The search for his long-term successor is underway, with spin-bowling allrounder Sonal Dinusha likely to be the first given a chance. His left-arm spin could prove useful in home conditions, and with no more Tests scheduled for Sri Lanka this year, Dinusha will be eager to seize his moment.
