On Test Cricket’s Silver Jubilee, Bangladesh Endures a Disappointing Day with Bat and Ball in Colombo

While Bangladesh celebrated 25 years of Test status with a grand event in Dhaka, the national team endured a frustrating day on the field in Colombo, marking their 154th Test with clear shortcomings in both batting and bowling.

In Dhaka, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) hosted a special event to mark the silver jubilee of the country’s Test journey, with storytelling and reminiscences from first-Test players such as Habibul Bashar and Mohammad Rafique.

But on the field in Colombo, it was a tough day for the Tigers. Resuming on Day 2 at 220 for 8 in their first innings, Bangladesh were bowled out for just 247 runs. Their batting performance offered little resistance.

Things didn’t improve with the ball. Sri Lanka’s openers Lahiru Udara and Pathum Nissanka put on 88 runs for the first wicket, showing little difficulty against Bangladesh’s pace duo of Ebadot Hossain and Nahid Rana. The pair failed to make any breakthroughs, despite sharing 21 overs between them without success.

It was left to left-arm spinner Taijul Islam to finally break the opening stand, trapping Udara lbw for 40. But Bangladesh had no answer to the fluent Pathum Nissanka, who was in commanding form at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground. He finished the day unbeaten on 146 off 238 balls, including 18 boundaries—a dominant knock that underscored the home team’s control.

Nissanka shared a massive 194-run stand for the second wicket with Dinesh Chandimal. Chandimal fell agonisingly short of a century, dismissed for 93 while attempting a reverse sweep off Nayeem Hasan that ended in a catch to wicketkeeper Liton Das.

By stumps on Day 2, Sri Lanka were 290 for 2, leading Bangladesh by 43 runs. Bangladesh’s spinners bowled 57 overs for just two wickets—Taijul and Nayeem claiming one each.

This performance served as another reminder of Bangladesh’s struggles to maintain consistency and confidence in overseas Tests, even 25 years after gaining Test status.

As the team reflects during this symbolic milestone, the hope remains that this anniversary can serve as a moment for honest self-assessment and renewed planning—to build a truly competitive and resilient Test side for the future.