Sri Lanka is set to begin a two-Test series against Bangladesh in Galle on Tuesday that will mark the end of Angelo Mathews’s “dream run” in the game’s longest format, as the cricket season resumed following South Africa’s World Test Championship triumph at Lord’s.
The red-ball matches between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be followed by a white-ball series of three One-Day Internationals and three T20Is.
Host Sri Lanka begins the contest as firm favourite, eager to turn a fresh page after a stuttering end to the previous World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
Sri Lanka was firmly in the mix for a place in the WTC final until December before the wheels came off spectacularly. Two defeats in South Africa followed by a twin collapse at Galle against Australia saw it tumble down the rankings.
“We had one hand on a spot in the final but a few brain fades at crunch moments cost us dearly,” Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva told reporters on Monday. “We’ve learnt our lessons. A strong home start lays the foundation for success on the road.”
‘Dream run’
Sri Lanka’s squad includes six uncapped players, with at least one debut cap set to be handed out. Spin remains its strength, with Prabath Jayasuriya the key and selectors also calling up off-spinner Akila Dananjaya.
Bangladesh enters the series without stalwarts Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is realistic about the challenge.
“Tamim and Shakib — those are massive boots to fill,” he said. “But this is a chance for the young guys to put their hands up.”
Shanto, who is playing in Galle for the first time, said the team have “prepped well and we’re ready for the challenge”.
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The Test will also be the swansong of Sri Lanka’s veteran Angelo Mathews, who is retiring after 118 Tests. The former skipper also played his first Test on the famous pitch perched beneath the fortress in Galle in 2009.
“It’s been a dream run,” said 38-year-old Mathews. “The wins in England in 2014 and whitewashing the Aussies in 2016 stand out. I’ve seen so many youngsters come through the ranks,” he said. “I truly believe Sri Lanka’s future is in good hands.”
Sri Lanka has won 20 of the 26 Tests it has played against Bangladesh, which has only managed a solitary win, along with five draws.
The second Test will begin in Colombo on June 25.