Galle, June 17, 2025: After a promising start by Sri Lanka on the opening morning, Bangladesh roared back into dominance on day one of the Galle Test, courtesy of a magnificent unbeaten partnership between Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim, both of whom struck commanding centuries.
At stumps, Bangladesh stood firmly in control at 247 for 3, with Shanto unbeaten on 136 and Mushfiqur on 105 not out, having added a record 247-run unbroken stand for the fourth wicket. Their partnership completely transformed the complexion of the day after an early collapse had left Bangladesh reeling at 44 for 3.
Having won the toss and elected to bat on a batter-friendly Galle surface, Shanto’s initial optimism turned into concern as Bangladesh lost three wickets for under 50 runs. Anamul Haque edged seamer Asitha Fernando early, before debutant spinner Tharindu Rathnayake struck twice in quick succession, removing Shadman Islam and Mominul Haque, the latter falling to an ambitious stroke.
However, the tone shifted dramatically once Mushfiqur joined Shanto at the crease. Despite facing just three deliveries when Mushfiqur arrived, Shanto quickly imposed himself, lofting Tharindu over his head in a statement shot early in the partnership. That stroke signaled intent and set the tone for Bangladesh’s counterattack.
Shanto took the attack to the debutant spinner, scoring 10 of his 15 boundaries off Tharindu, including one six. Although Tharindu eventually managed to tighten his economy rate, the momentum had already shifted firmly in Bangladesh’s favor.
Mushfiqur Rahim, ever the calm presence in the middle, complemented Shanto’s aggression with steady accumulation. Together, the pair maintained a healthy run rate of around 3 to 3.5 runs per over across the day, with the final session seeing Bangladesh accelerate to nearly four an over as Sri Lanka’s bowlers tired.
Sri Lanka’s most economical bowler, Milan Rathnayake, conceded just 19 runs from 12 overs, but his pressure was often undone at the other end. The spin duo of Prabath Jayasuriya and Tharindu bowled the bulk of the overs, but failed to break through once the fourth-wicket stand settled.
The day began on a celebratory note for Sri Lanka with a guard of honour for retiring great Angelo Mathews, and the early wickets had the hosts dreaming of a dominant opening. However, they perhaps miscalculated by over-bowling their debutant and by not turning to senior spinner Jayasuriya earlier, allowing Shanto and Mushfiqur to settle and capitalise.
Despite the relatively benign surface, conventional Galle wisdom still favours batting first and long — and Bangladesh are now poised to do just that, having built a solid platform.
With two set batters at the crease and no sign of deterioration in the pitch, Bangladesh will look to extend their dominance on day two and post a formidable first-innings total, while Sri Lanka must regroup and find a way to break the crucial partnership.
