BANGLADESH TOUR OF SRI LANKA, 2025
Nayeem Hasan bagged a five-wicket haul to ensure Sri Lanka did not go past Bangladesh’s total © AFP
Nayeem Hasan, the Bangladesh offspinner, said changing the seam position from time to time served him well on Day 4 of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Despite making his debut back in 2018, Nayeem had played only one Test outside Bangladesh, and that too without bowling a single delivery in the pink ball Test against India in 2019 when he was substituted with a concussion after being hit on the helmet. That he got to play the first Test against Sri Lanka was due to the absence of Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was rested due to fever.
The 25-year old capitalised on the opportunity with a five-wicket haul to ensure Sri Lanka did not go past Bangladesh’s total despite being in a good position to do so.
“I tried to bowl in one good spot, and then adjust my variation there. I tried changing the seam position from time to time. My line depended on who I was bowling to. I had different plans for each batter,” Nayeem said after the day’s play. “It was a batting friendly wicket so we tried to bowl consistently in one area. When you cut off the runs, the batter gets into pressure. He tries to do something different, which can lead to a mistake. That was my plan.”
Nayeem said Bangladesh are in a good position to force a result, having ended the day with an overall lead of 187 runs, with seven wickets in hand. “We have every opportunity to go for the win once we have a good total on board. A lot of things can happen on the fifth day wicket. We have a positive mindset going into the last day. It depends on how we start the day.
“A lot of things can happen on the fifth day wicket. If we can give them a good target, they will be under pressure. There’s a difference between playing normal cricket and playing under pressure,” he said. “They will also be worried about losing the game. We want to give a good total.”
Meanwhile Kamindu Mendis, who scored a valuable 87 which took Sri Lanka close to Bangladesh’s total, said that the game is open for both teams.
“Our first target is to get their wickets. Our target is also to win the game. If we can bowl them out in the first session, we can chase that down,” said Mendis. “Whatever the score they get, we have another two sessions. We can still do that.
“It depends on the pitch conditions. We were scoring at a better rate. We need to get them out early in the first session and I am confident we can chase down the target. Our confidence is good. We will assess things as the wicket plays,” he added.
© Cricbuzz
