1st Test: Bangladesh eager for first Sri Lanka win

Captain Rahim confident of success against depleted hosts’ squad.

COLOMBO: Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim is confident that his team can take advantage of a depleted Sri Lankan squad and secure a maiden Test win over their opponents in the two-match series starting in Galle today.

Bangladesh have played Sri Lanka in 12 tests since 2001 and lost all of them.

“Sri Lanka is a good team but it’s not impossible to win against them,” said Rahim. “Our younger players are coming through very well and we are very confident that if they put their hands up in the field we’ll have a competitive Test series.”

Rahim’s confidence is borne by the fact that their main tormentor of the past, off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, is not around to bamboozle their batsmen.

Muralitharan, who retired from Test cricket in 2010, is the leading wicket-taker for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh with 89 wickets from 11 Tests.

Sri Lanka are also without two of their experienced middle order batsmen, Mahela Jayawardene (injury) and Thilan Samaraweera, who announced his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday.



Sri Lanka will be led by a new skipper in Angelo Mathews, who will become the youngest to lead his country in a Test match at the age of 25 years.

“The most important thing for us is to have a balance in the team with seniors and youngsters, said Mathews. “I am sure the youngsters will take the opportunity and use it to the maximum. Bangladesh are here to play some good cricket and we cannot treat them lightly.”

The good news for Sri Lanka is that top-order batsman Kumar Sangakkara has been declared fit and will play his first competitive match in almost three months.

The only other experienced batsman in the side, which is filled with youngsters, is opener Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Dinesh Chandimal has taking over the wicket-keeping position from Prasanna Jayawardene for the series.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2013.