SL vs BAN second Test Preview | Bangladesh chase history as they aim first series win against Sri Lanka

‌After their ground-breaking series win over Pakistan, Bangladesh will chase history yet again when they meet Sri Lanka in the second and final Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on Wednesday. With the first match between the sides ending in a draw, the visitors will have an excellent opportunity to win their first series against the island nation.

With captain Najmul Hossain Shanto leading from the front with centuries in both innings of the first match, Bangladesh’s batting lineup looks formidable. Veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim also looked in fine nick with a hardworking hundred in the first innings while Litton Das also chipped in with a stroke-filled half-century too.

Sri Lanka was also up to task with their batting display as Pathum Nissanka scored a massive hundred with DInesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis also scoring fifties. But with Angelo Matthews’ retirement from Tests, the home side will have big shoes to fill in their batting order.

Both teams will, however, look for an improved display from their bowlers on a surface which may assist the quicks more compared to Galle. Spinners Tharindu Rathnayake and Nayeem Hasan finished as the pick among the bowlers of the respective sides with match-hauls of six wickets but a collective effort will see the sides sealing the two-match series.

Form Guide

SL Form: LLLLD

BAN Form: LWLWD

SL vs BAN head-to-head in Tests

Sri Lanka has been the overwhelming favourite in this fixture winning 20 off the 27 Tests played between both the sides while Bangladesh have a solitary win with six of them ending in draws. The home side has also held forte in the last five matches winning three with two of them ending in draws.

SL 20 - 1 BAN

Pitch and Conditions

The Sinhalese Sports Club Ground will host its first Test match in more than 16 months with Sri Lanka winning their last game here against Afghanistan by 10 wickets in February 2024. The venue provides a good batting surface with enough support to the pacers before assisting the tweakers towards the end of the game. Four of the last five matches have been won by sides batting first and putting on a huge score before pressurising the opponents against a wearing wicket.

There will be rain throughout the match with showers predicted on the first four days along with passing showers on the fifth morning. The temperatures are expected to stay around the 30-degree mark with the probability of precipitation staying above 90% till day four before coming to 55% on the final day.

Team News

Sri Lanka will be without pace-bowling all-rounder Milan Rathnayake who is out with a side strain with Kasun Rajitha expected to take his place in the eleven. With Angelo Matthews announcing his retirement from Test cricket after the first match, batter Oshada Fernando may get a look in.

Bangladesh are expected to make one change with Ebadot Hossain coming into the side as the third pacer in place of Jaker Ali.

SL Expected XI

Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Oshada Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis (wk), Tharindu Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha

BAN Expected XI

Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Shadman Islam, Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wk), Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Ebadot Hossain

Broadcasting Platforms 

The SL vs BAN second Test match will be digitally streamed on the SonyLiv app and website in India with the telecast of the same on the Sony Sports Network from 10:00 AM IST on Wednesday.