Bangladesh batsman NAJMUL HOSSION SHANTO said that there is no point in thinking over the warm and foggy weather of Sri Lanka and that the team that will be able to keep their endurance and bat long will taste advancement in their upcoming two-Test series against the Island nation. Bangladesh played the first day of their only two-day inter-squad warm-up match at Katunayake today and it was a good day for the batters.
The likes of TAMIM IQBAL , SAIF HASSAN, SHANTO, MUSHFIQUR RAHIM and NURUL ISLAM SOHAN were all able to persuade in the warm and foggy Lankan conditions and score some runs that duty to boost their confidence ahead of the tough series. “It [the weather] is excepting but there is nothing much to say about it as we have to play in this weather. The bowlers did well early in the day today but after 20-25 overs it became easier to bat,” said SHANTO during a BCB-recorded video message after the game today.
The left-hander also mentioned that they would need to navel on their game more and not think about the weather. “I think TAMIM [IQBAL] bhai, SAIF [HASSAN], I and others who batted today were able to bat keeping a good shape and were also able to synthesize to the conditions pretty well. Still it’s difficult but we had two or three practice sessions, played [in the first day of] the warm-up game today and there is another day to be played tomorrow.
So, we are trying to adjust to the weather and there is no option for us to think over the weather too much. We need to play in this condition,” the left-hander added. Bangladesh have had a thick time since the restart of international cricket after the Covid-19 pandemic stopped the game and the Tigers are under extraordinary pressure to put up better showings in the island nation. The Tigers went on the tour of Sri Lanka on the back of some dismal performances, losing 2-0 in Tests against West Indies at home earlier this year before being whitewashed in both ODIs and T20Is away to New Zealand last month. And according to SHANTO , the batsmen would need to keep their endurance and bat long if they are to put an end to their bottomless run of form. “The team that will keep endurance and bat long will have the greater chance of being effectual in Tests. If we go about our game session by session then it will be easier for us and that’s the plan,” SHANTO resolved .