Bangladesh go into Friday’s second ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium nursing a seven-match losing streak and a bruised ego. The 77-run defeat two nights ago was almost entirely self-inflicted: from 101 for 1 they slid to 106 for 6, chasing what looked a very gettable 245.
Opener Tanzid Hasan, whose 62 was as stylish as it was short-lived, accepts the top order must shoulder the blame. “We had a long discussion about the last match,” he said on Thursday. “The coaches told us that on a wicket like this, those who get set need to finish things off since it’s hard for new batters to adjust. They have top quality spinners in their side, so those who are set need to bat as long as possible.”
Key facts first
• Sri Lanka lead the three-match series 1-0
• Bangladesh’s last ODI win came eight months ago
• Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah remain unavailable, leaving a thin middle order
A repeat of Wednesday’s surface is likely, so the opening pair will again carry extra responsibility. “The way the wicket is behaving, if someone gets set, he needs to play a long innings and take the team home,” Tanzid repeated, almost word for word, as if drumming the lesson into himself.
The turning point
Bangladesh were coasting when Tanzid and Najmul Hossain Shanto put on 71 for the second wicket. Both left-handers used nimble footwork to disrupt the lengths of Sri Lanka’s seamers and forced captain Charith Asalanka to keep leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga waiting. Then Shanto was run-out needlessly; four balls later Tanzid edged to slip. Hasaranga returned to finish with 4 for 10, exploiting Bangladesh’s right-hand heavy middle order.
Tanzid concedes they failed to manage the match-ups. “The left-hand batters need to take as much strike as possible since he [Hasaranga] is less effective against left-handers compared to right-handers. So, a few pieces of information like that were given to us, which might help us in the next match.”
Middle-order vacuum
The absences of Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah were brutally exposed: positions four to six contributed one run between them. Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz promoted himself but lasted two balls; Litton Das was out first ball; Towhid Hridoy scraped a single. With no senior hand to calm things, panic set in.
Former Bangladesh batter Shahriar Nafees, now a TV pundit, felt the collapse was mental rather than technical. “They play Hasaranga in the nets every IPL,” he observed. “It looked like they worried about the pitch instead of trusting their methods.”
Tanzid’s own 62 earned praise but not from the man himself. “I don’t think I played well,” he said. “I didn’t fulfil the team’s requirements. If I had, then I would have said that I played well. But there is a chance to make a comeback. It’s a three-match series. One match is done. The next one is important. If we can make a comeback, then Inshallah, we will still be in contention.”
What must change?
1. Partnerships: Bangladesh have not produced a 100-run stand in ODIs since December. On a slow Colombo track, even an 80-run alliance can tilt things.
2. Strike rotation: Only 25 singles were taken in the last 30 overs on Wednesday; dots piled pressure on boundary attempts.
3. Bowling in the middle overs: The visitors lacked a second spinner to support Mehidy, allowing Sri Lanka to recover from 136 for 5 to 244.
There is no appetite for panic selections, though uncapped batter Shahadat Hossain could come in for one of the misfiring right-handers. Bowling coach Allan Donald hinted at an extra seamer, but with dew expected that feels unlikely.
Perspective, finally
Losing streaks can distort perceptions. Bangladesh’s ODI side was ranked fifth less than a year ago and beat India at home during that period. The core skills remain; execution has wobbled. A series-levelling win on Friday would not solve everything, yet it would quieten a few nerves and, more importantly, show that the talk about “batting long, bat deep” is more than empty words.
