Tigers look to snap losing streak in SL
Sports Reporter
Even though the Sri Lankan team is going through a transition period, Bangladesh would have to face tough challenge there because of the hosts superior record at their home den.
After the retirement of the legends like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka is no more a threatening team which is evidenced in their recent result but still they have whitewashed team like Australia in Test series at their own yard. They have also registered series victory at clean margin against West Indies and Zimbabwe too of late, proving that regardless of their overseas record, they remain a force to reckon with at home by far distance.
Sri Lanka have recently been whitewashed in South Africa and England, showing an immensely poor performance which gave Bangladesh a ray of hope to seal their first overseas Test victory against a top flight opposition.
But the Mushfiqur Rahim-led Test team may have to ponder their track record at home. Even though the condition would be similar to what they got at home, Sri Lankan left arm spinner Rangana Heraths one-man show is enough to demolish any team. Sri Lanka might mull a rage turner which they always adopt against a foreign team. If the series against England is anything to go by, Mehedi Hasan Miraj and Shakib Al Hasan could enjoy the wicket of Sri Lanka but what would scare Bangladesh is that how their batsmen would fare on the turning wicket. Sri Lankan batsman of late showed their particular likings to the turning wicket, so considering all the facts, the tour should be tougher one for Bangladesh.
But Bangladesh is still hopeful of achieving their best ever result in Sri Lanka.
Without Sangakkara and Jayawardene, in terms of experience, Sri Lanka would be behind of us in this tour but they are always tougher side at their home. So they would be tough to beat, Bangladesh Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim told Private TV channel NTV.
But we got a balanced team. Considering the sporting wicket in Sri Lanka, the selectors select the team. Hopefully well do well there.
While Mushfiqur sounds positive, Bangladesh team manager Khaled Mahmud Sujon believed the players got the idea to how they should push a top level team at their backyard.
There is hardly any difference between the condition of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, said Mahmud, who returned to the team manager post after the gap of two series in New Zealand and India.
I dont think we played that badly in New Zealand and India but there is no reflection of our good show in the result. So in terms of result, those two series is disappointing for us. However we can take a lot from those series. We pushed our opponents till the last day of the Test in a condition, vastly different to us. So it should give the players a confidence that they need to do well at the top level.
Mahmud, also a director and coach of the local team said the players are upbeat to win a Test in Sri Lanka whatever the strength of the hosts is.
Sri Lanka will be a challenging series for us. But from what I have seen that the players are confident enough of their chance. From the last two series, they got the idea as to how they should push a top level team at their home den. So they are confident.
Bangladesh earlier toured three times in Sri Lanka in 2002, 2005 and 2012 but could never register a single victory in any format there. It will be their fourth tour in the country, their highest in a single country as they look to break the jinx.
