Bangladesh’s batting coach David Hemp stated on Sunday that his team will aim for victory in Chhatogram even though Sri Lanka amassed a huge 531 in the first innings and dominated the first two days of play in the second Test.
Despite lacking a centurion, Sri Lanka amassed a record 531 runs. Half-centuries were scored by six batters, and Kamindu Mendis, who is still undefeated at 92, narrowly missed out on a third consecutive century. Bangladesh responded by trailing Sri Lanka by 476 runs at stumps, at 55 for 1. After Lahiru Kumara bowled Mahmudul Hasan Joy for 21, opener Zakir Hasan and nightwatchman Taijul Islam were both undefeated at 28.
“We’re still hoping to win the match. We are 480 runs behind, so it could appear a little strange,” Hemp said to media on Sunday at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. The negotiation tomorrow will be the crucial part. The next day, if we perform well, we negotiate. From a batting perspective, you never know what can happen if we do that.
“First and foremost, we need to ensure that we bat well for the three sessions that we have tomorrow. Over the day, we observed the strange ball rotating quite a bit. Given our style of play and the borders we crossed, it appears to be a really excellent pitch. It won’t really alter tomorrow, in my opinion.”
He continued by outlining how to handle the new ball challenge. “Playing with the new ball can present some difficulties. As an opener, you have to control and handle it. Creating sections seems to be the key, in my opinion. Although I don’t have much to do today, I want to prepare myself for tomorrow,” he remarked.
“Dividing the quantity of balls accessible is one method of doing so; hence, tonight’s hitter faced 36 balls. In Test or First Class cricket, this is a circumstance that all openers worldwide will encounter. It happens frequently. Gamers are accustomed to it. The most crucial thing is to make sense of it.
The new ball poses a risk. The players use the new ball in the nets as a lot of practice. All it takes is constant preparation. Do you have greater judgment now? Are you still using those chances to score points? Do your feet move in front of or behind you? Are you making an effort to appear superficial? It is your game’s ongoing evolution. Both attempt to improve after giving a candid assessment of their performance,” he said.
Sri Lankan Kamindu Mendis, meantime, expressed his happiness that the squad managed to produce a score above 500 and expressed that he is not too concerned about losing out on another hundred.
“Scoring above 500 was more significant than achieving my century. After we scored over 500, we were going to allow them an hour or so to bat. That’s the thing with being a member of the team, in my opinion—sometimes you can score a century, and other times you won’t be able to. Kamindu, who was 92 not out when Asitha Fernando was run out for a duck, expressed his happiness at having been able to make a significant contribution to the squad.
“You have to put your trust in the tail-enders when you bat at No. 7 or 8. I believe I accomplished that. They provided me with excellent help. Our hitter in the top spot performed admirably during this inning. A few half-centuries remain. They were a valuable asset to the group.
“In cricket, I believe that although certain players may achieve a big hundred, others cannot. Our first innings has produced six half-centuries for us. Even so, it makes a valuable addition to the team. We posted a total of more than 500 on the board. “I believe we achieved our goals,” he remarked.
