Sri Lanka had to fight hard to earn a draw in the first Test of the series and will need to find another gear to be competitive against Bangladesh.
Bangladesh could do with a little more killer instinct having had Sri Lanka on the ropes for much of the first Test.
To Win Match
Bangladesh 14/10 | Draw 22/10 | Sri Lanka 2/1
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka | 23 May – 27 May 2022 | The Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpu
Bangladesh
Bangladesh should be thrilled with the level of the talents that are emerging through their ranks with one such young star putting in a great shift in Chattogram.
Nayeem Hasan’s career-best haul put Sri Lanka on the back foot early on but he got little joy in the second innings despite being handed the new ball.
There were also big parts for established players with important centuries from Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim showing the old guard have plenty to offer.
Mahmudul Hasan Joy is the future of Bangladesh cricket and a player to watch whenever he steps out onto the park.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka will have to take the positives from their first Test performance and improve if they want to take something from this series.
Angelo Mathews played his best innings for Sri Lanka in some time though and that will be a boost to a team struggling to perform consistently in the ultimate format.
Dimuth Karunaratne led from the front in the dogged resistance which is his bread and butter.
Sri Lanka have the quality to bat longer than they did in Chattogram but as usual their decision-making hasn’t been up to par.
Verdict: Bangladesh 14/10
Bangladesh were the better side in the first Test and with a bit more cutting edge, should be able to win here.
