Bangladesh lost the two-match Test series to Sri Lanka (1-0) after losing the series decider match by a huge 209-run margin on Sunday at the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy. Bangladesh showed no aggression against the hosts during the second match. Both Shakib and Mustafizur were unable to play in the Test series because of their commitments to the IPL 2021. Bangladesh had struggled against the Lankans because of their absence, but the rest of the players should have taken more responsibility in order to clinch the series. Here is the Bangladesh team report card at the end of the BAN v SL Test series.
Bangladesh team performance breakdown against Sri Lanka Test series 2021
Batting/Top order
Saif Hassan and Najmul Hossain were inconsistent in batting
The experienced opener Tamim Iqbal was consistent with the bat, but the other two top-order batsmen Saif Hassan and Nazmul Hossain Shanto were not consistent at all. Nazmul Hossain provided a glimpse of hope by scoring 163 runs in the first innings of the first Test, but he went on to score 0, 0, and 26 in the next three innings.On the other hand, young opener Saif Hassan made just 60 runs in 4 innings.
Despite the fact that two young batsmen were unable to take advantage of Pallekele's batting-friendly wicket, but veteran Tamim was successful with the bat. Tamim hit a half-century in the first three innings of the series. Twice he was out in the nervous 90. His lowest score on the tour was 26 in the last innings of the second Test. Tamim scored the second-highest 260 runs at an average of 93.33 in 4 innings.Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne scored the most 428 runs in the series.
Even though Tamim got runs, Bangladeshi fans are disappointed with his overall batting performance. Because Bangladesh campaign expects big innings from experienced cricketers like Tamim. In both matches, Kandy's wicket was helpful for the batters and Tamim should have played a big innings on such a pitch. But he failed to play a big knock despite starting well on at least two occasions, which was unacceptable.
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Batting/Middle-Order
Captain Mominul was the only consistent performer in the middle order
Aside from Captain Mominul Haque, no Bangladeshi middle-order batsman performed well in the series. He scored the third most 231 runs at an average of 77 in this series. Skipper Mominul played an effective 127-run knock in the first innings of the first Test.
Mr. Dependable Mushfiqur Rahim batted for one innings in the first Test. In that innings, he was unbeaten on 68 *. But Mushfiqur was unable to play a big knock in both innings of the second Test. There was a lot of expectation from a batsman like him at the crucial stage, but he couldn't deliver. Wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das also struggled with the bat. He scored 75 runs in 3 innings.
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Bowling/Pace
Pacer Taskin Ahmed back to his best
Taskin Ahmed's return to his former glory was the biggest success in this series for Bangladesh. In both games, he was at his best. Bangladesh fielders missed several opportunities of Taskin's deliveries but he did not give up. The right-arm medium pacer tried again and again in the hopes of success. As a result, he finished the series with the most wickets among Bangladeshi bowlers.
Taskin took 8 wickets in 3 innings and his best bowling figure was 4/127. After such a performance, fans can expect to see Taskin in the Bangladesh Test XI on a regular basis.
Although Taskin did well, Bangladesh's other fast bowlers were disappointing in the series. Both Abu Jayed Rahi and Ebadot Hossain were ineffective. Debutant young left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam bowled 30 overs in his first match and took one wicket for 99 runs at a 3.30 economy rate.
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Bowling/Spin
Taijul Islam was the only Bangladeshi bowler to take five wickets in an innings in this series
Bangladesh's spin bowlers were relatively quiet in this series. Miraj had a total of four wickets in three innings, with an economy rate of 3.19. On the other side, like pacer Taskin, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam took a total of 8 wickets in the series. He is the only Bangladeshi bowler in the series to take five wickets (5/62) in an innings. He accomplished this feat in the first innings of the second Test. Besides that, Taijul Islam was the most economical (3.10) among Bangladeshi bowlers.
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Fielding
Bangladesh's fielding did not improve much in the Test series against Sri Lanka. Missed catches and misfielding were usual scenarios in the series. Cricketers must improve their physical fitness in order to play five-day cricket. Otherwise, it's impossible to expect better outcomes in ground fielding.
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Top five memorable performances in Test Cricket
Bottom Line
The Bangladesh team report card reveals that, with the exception of a few players, none of the other players had satisfactory performances in the series. Prior to the series, it was expected that Mominul Haque-led Bangladesh team would perform well, but their overall performance, especially in the second match was utterly disappointing. They should have played much better this series to regain confidence in the Test format. Bangladesh's next series will be at home against Sri Lanka. Team Tigers' will play 3 ODIs against Sri Lanka which is also part of ICC's World Cup ODI Super League.