Nissanka showed Bangladesh how to bat, says Simmons
Pathum Nissanka is unbeaten on 146, Cricfrenzy
After Bangladesh's disappointing performance with the bat on Day 1 of the Colombo Test, head coach Phil Simmons has admitted that Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka gave a perfect demonstration of how to bat in Test cricket conditions.
Bangladesh ended the first day at 220/8 after a series of poor shot selections and unnecessary risks, despite opener Shadman Islam defending the approach by saying, “You cannot score runs without playing shots.” However, on Day 2, Nissanka and Dinesh Chandimal countered Bangladesh’s bowlers with calculated aggression and disciplined shot-making—exactly what the Tigers had failed to do.
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Nissanka, unbeaten on 146, and Chandimal (93), stitched together a massive stand that exposed Bangladesh’s bowling attack. While Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan toiled without much reward, the rest of the bowling unit looked ineffective. Sri Lanka ended Day 2 on 290/2, already leading Bangladesh by 43 runs in the first innings.
“It was a tough day. The wicket became easier to bat on. We struggled to take wickets, which is expected on such a good surface. It was a hard day for the bowlers,” Simmons said.
“Today the wicket was much better than yesterday. On the first day, the ball held a bit, and the pace was inconsistent. But today it was much easier to bat on. There wasn’t much turn either. The batters also batted very well. Sometimes, that’s how Test cricket goes” he added.
Simmons pointed out the difference between the two sides: while Bangladesh’s batters—such as Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Litton Das—got starts but failed to convert them, the Sri Lankan duo showed how to build long innings.
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“Yesterday, two or three of our batters should have gone on to make big scores. Today, Pathum Nissanka showed us how it should be done. Hopefully, we can learn from this and come back stronger in the second innings.”
Nissanka, who had scored his career-best in the first Test, has now followed it up with another outstanding knock, further establishing himself as a key figure in Sri Lanka's top order.
Earlier, both Shadman and Sri Lanka's batting coach Thilina Kandamby had commented on the unique behavior of the SSC pitch.
While Shadman noted its slowness, Kandamby admitted he had rarely seen the surface behave in such a two-paced manner in his career. But by Day 2, the pitch seemed to favor the batters far more—something Sri Lanka capitalized on perfectly.
