Sri Lanka having won all test matches played against Bangladesh considering themselves the much fancied team, would have been wounded by the visiting team pulling them to a draw in the first test in Galle and will go all aggressive looking to penetrate fiercely this time around.
Angelo Mathews leading the Sri Lankan team to the 2nd test at the R Premadasa grounds tomorrow anticipates to have a more helpful pitch than was delivered to them in Galle which ended in a tame draw with both team’s batsman making hay. Ballooning personal statistics was Kumar Sangakkara with 142 and 105 having missed out in Australia determined to get back into form.
The articulate left hander holding on to top world batting averages with a staggering 56+ used the placid pitch to help his cause further by notching up two centuries. The so-talent and aspiring Lahiru Tirimanne cemented his place in the test side scoring a polished unbeaten 155 along with the vice captain Dinesh Chandimal who scored an unbeaten 116.
The Bangladeshis batsmen were equal to the task with skipper Mushfiqur Rahim scoring a brilliant Double century & Mohamed Ashraful dishing out 190 and Nasir Hossain scoring exactly 100 joined the party.
Sri Lanka in the first innings made 570/4 and Bangladesh in a record braking 638 all out explained the state of the pitch. Home team replied with 335 for 4 declared leaving not much time to make a game of it. Naturally for the bowlers it was a general toil.
In a pre-match media briefing at the media new skipper Mathews said “I think that the Sri Lankan bowlers did their best in the 1st test: the assistance of the wickets was not for them but they did a great job in Galle”
Furthermore Angelo Mathews stated that, they will focus on spinners this time to beat Bangladesh tigers in the second test “We haven’t thought about our composition yet. But when we see this pitch, I think that it is much favorable to the bowling department. There is a great possibility of appointing Tharindu Kaushal in the series, but we will discuss much and decide”
