Anamul Falls for a Duck as Bangladesh Stumble Early in Galle Test

The phrase "a nightmare start" may be overused, but Bangladesh opener Anamul Haque Bijoy gave it new relevance yet again. On Day 1 of the Galle Test against Sri Lanka, he was dismissed for a duck, continuing his poor run at the top of the order. The opening stand failed to cross even 5 runs.

Batting first after winning a crucial toss, Bangladesh lost their first wicket in the 5th over. A delivery from Asitha Fernando kissed Anamul’s bat and was comfortably taken by the wicketkeeper. Anamul faced 10 balls without scoring before heading back to the pavilion.

At the end of 10 overs, Bangladesh were 22 for 1, with Sadman Islam on 8 and Mominul Haque unbeaten on 13.

This match marks the farewell Test for Sri Lanka’s veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews, adding emotional weight to the contest. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, upon winning the toss, opted to bat first on what is traditionally a spin-friendly surface in Galle. The team is missing key all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who is out due to illness.

Playing XIs:

Bangladesh:
Anamul Haque Bijoy, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Sadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Zakir Ali Anik, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud.

Sri Lanka:
Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kusal Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Tharindu Ratnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando.