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"Made Life Hard For...": Najmul Shanto Breaks Silence On Bangladesh's Crushing Defeat

Poulomi Chakraborty

Shanto Reflects On Bangladesh's Heavy Defeat (Source: @ImTanujSingh/x.com)Shanto Reflects On Bangladesh's Heavy Defeat (Source: @ImTanujSingh/x.com)

In the second Test against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh faced a massive defeat. Adding to this heartbreak, Bangladeshi fans faced another setback as captain Najmul Hossain Shanto had stepped down from the captaincy.

The Tigers struggled with both bat and ball in the clash. In the aftermath, Shanto opened up, reflecting on what went wrong and where the team must improve.

Shanto Reflects On Batting Blunders

After a heartbreaking draw in the first match, Bangladesh’s batting lineup faltered in the second Test match. While batting first, they were bundled out in just 247 runs as the batters failed to bounce back against the Sri Lankan bowling attack. The second innings brought more misery as Prabath Jayasuriya tore through the lower order, leaving the Tigers in tatters.

While reflecting on this, Najmul Hossain Shanto addressed that as ‘disappointing’. As quoted by ESPNcricinfo, he said their batting performance led the way towards the defeat, and asked for further improvement.

“It was very disappointing [the way we played in Colombo], especially after the outstanding way we played in Galle. We didn't perform well in this Test as a team. We didn't bat well in the first innings. It is a major reason we lost the Test,” Shanto said.


“We were confident coming into the Colombo Test. We faced new conditions. Our first innings batting wasn't up to the mark. Our first four batters got out in the 30s or 40s. It becomes difficult for the new batter to play a long innings. We need to improve in that area,” he added.

Bowling Blues Blow The Game Away

Adding to the batting woes, bowling struggles were another concern. Standing on a crucial point, Bangladeshi bowlers leaked too many runs. Apart from Taijul Islam’s 5-wicket haul and Nayeem Hasan’s efforts, the rest of the bowlers remained harmless for most of the time. Reflecting on the loss, Najmul Hossain Shanto admitted it was their wayward bowling that ultimately let the match slip away.

“We didn't start well with the ball. We gave away runs at almost five runs an over. It made life hard for the rest of the bowlers as the batters had the momentum. They batted freely. We took eight wickets in a short time yesterday, so if we had done it from the start, Sri Lanka wouldn't have batted for such a long time,” Shanto said.

Since taking charge in 2023, Shanto has led Bangladesh in 14 Tests, with 9 losses and just 4 wins. In his captaincy tenure, he showcased his batting brilliance. As he walked away, the BCB would need to find out his true successor.