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148 In Galle! Najmul Hossain Shanto Leads Bangladesh By Example With An Epic Knock Vs SL

Rajgeeta Yadav

Najmul Hossain Shanto [Source: AP Photos]Najmul Hossain Shanto [Source: AP Photos]

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto played a gutsy and commanding innings in the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium. He stood tall when the team needed him most and nearly reached the 150-run milestone, but fell just 2 runs short.

The Day 2 began under clear skies with Bangladesh in a strong position at 293/3. Shanto was unbeaten on 136, while veteran Mushfiqur Rahim stood firm on 106. Their partnership had already crossed 250 runs, and they looked set to take the game away from Sri Lanka.

Shanto Falls Agonizingly Short Of 150 In Galle

But then came the breakthrough. In the 97th over of the innings, Asitha Fernando delivered a full-length ball just outside off stump. Shanto tried to drive it but mistimed his shot, sending the ball straight to Angelo Mathews at mid-off. Mathews dived forward and took a stunning low catch. 

Shanto, visibly disappointed, walked off to a warm applause from the crowd, his brilliant innings had come to an end at 148 runs off 279 balls. 

With this knock, Shanto now holds the third-highest individual score by a Bangladesh captain in Test cricket:

  • 200 – Mushfiqur Rahim vs SL, Galle, 2013
  • 159 – Mushfiqur Rahim vs NZ, Wellington, 2017
  • 148 – Najmul Hossain Shanto vs SL, Galle, 2025
  • 146 – Mahmudullah vs NZ, Hamilton, 2019
  • 132 – Mominul Haque vs ZIM, Mirpur, 2020

Earlier on Day 1, Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bat first. But the start wasn’t ideal. Opener Anamul Haque was dismissed for a duck after facing just 10 balls.

Debutant Tharindu Ratnayake Shines On Day 1

Meanwhile, Shadman Islam (14) and Mominul Haque (29) tried to rebuild the innings with a slow and steady stand, but debutant Tharindu Ratnayake turned things around for the hosts. He removed both batters in quick succession, and suddenly Bangladesh were in trouble.

That’s when Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto joined forces. They showed patience, maturity, and excellent shot selection to frustrate the Sri Lankan bowlers. Both players scored centuries and remained unbeaten at the end of Day 1, helping Bangladesh take control of the match.