It was only fitting that a Sri Lankan fast bowler secured a 2-0 series victory in Chattogram. Lahiru Kumara yorked Khaled Ahmed at 11.15am local time on the last day. Sri Lanka captured seven of Bangladesh’s fourth-innings wickets on the fourth day, ensuring a swift end to the match.
Kumara completed with four wickets, bringing their fast-bowling total for the series to 33. It is the highest total by a Sri Lankan pace attack in a two-match Test series. The fast bowlers’ success was bolstered by a solid performance from their hitters.
Not only did Kamindu Mendis win Player of the Match and Player of the Series, but the squad also scored four hundred and eight fifties. Bangladesh, on the other hand, scored only four fifties. The second significant difference between the two teams was the number of batting partnerships that lasted at least 20 overs. Sri Lanka had six, while Bangladesh had only one.
Apart from Kamindu, captain Dhananjaya de Silva stood out with his bat. While they dominated the Sylhet Test with little help from the other batsmen, the problem was remedied when six of Sri Lanka’s top seven batters reached fifty in the first innings in Chattogram.
“We are very satisfied with the win,” Dhananjaya said. “There are many areas for us to improve, and I have talked about those with the team and the coaches are working towards that. If we can learn day by day and raise our game by 1%, we can make winning a habit. When we came to Bangladesh, we know it was going to be good for the batsmen. Their idea is always to get runs. They were disappointed because they didn’t get runs in Sylhet. But they came back, and it was pretty easy for me to handle the other things.”
Kamindu’s story of waiting nearly two years for this breakthrough tour is a huge highlight, but Dhananjaya stated that Kamindu had to bide his time as better players kept him out of the Test team.
“These are the best players for Test cricket in Sri Lanka,” he said. “They’ve been performing in the domestic arena as well. Kamindu had to wait a little while. He got a fifty in his first innings, but when the replacement came in he had to go back. But he has been practicing well.”
Sri Lanka is building a batting lineup that does not have to rely solely on the seasoned trio of Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, and Angelo Mathews. The captain, on the other hand, wants them to last as long as possible since they assist him lead the Test team.
“They have been great servants for Sri Lanka for a lot of years,” Dhananjaya said. “I don’t know how long they will play. I’d love to play with them for 3-4 years into the future. They have been performing well in the past and they have been great in these series as well.
“They didn’t interfere with my captaincy. They just give me their ideas. It is very helpful in Tests, because you have to play five days. Sometimes my mind goes here and there, so getting that advice from them is very valuable.”
Dhananjaya’s captaincy also stood out in this Test series. He enjoyed the conditions at Sylhet that favored quick bowlers. He stated that made him more eager. As a batsman, he performed admirably against Bangladesh’s fast bowling. In a more batting-friendly Chattogram, he designed tight fields to keep Bangladesh’s run rate low. It worked beautifully, and the quick bowlers responded well.
Some also noted that Dhananjaya did not hesitate to be a strict taskmaster with his team members when necessary. “Sometimes you need to be a little forceful. In a nation like this, where you play in the heat, some players become lazy.
“But if in the field me or someone else dives around a little bit and makes a good stop, everyone gets a little boost. I’m trying to keep the other 10 players in the game. I’m not saying I need to be harsh, but I do think you need to have a bit of aggression when you lead,” Dhananjaya said.
It has been quite a first tour as captain for Dhananjaya. He scored runs and led well but also calmed things down when the talk of rivalry surfaced during the Test series. Visibly on the field too, the teams didn’t clash in the Tests, like they did in the limited-overs series. Dhananjaya’s insistence that “it is not a rivalry” kept the situation calm, and allowed for a smoother time on and off the field.
