Team ka away record kuch khaas nahi raha hai, aur pichle WTC cycle mein Bangladesh ne 12 mein se sirf 4 Test jeete, jo ki unki kamzori ko dikhata hai. Openers jaise Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, aur Mahmudul Hasan Joy ne runs banane mein struggle kiya, jisse team ka top order hamesha dabav mein raha. 2023-25 cycle mein unka opening pair duniya bhar ke teams mein doosra sabse kam average run banaya, jo ki ek badi chinta ka vishay hai. Sri Lanka ke khilaf Galle mein pehla Test 17 June se shuru ho raha hai, aur yeh mauka hai team ke liye kuch nayi shuruaat karne ka, lekin sawal yeh hai ki kya woh iska fayda utha payenge?
Lekin yahan se kahani thodi ummeed bhari ho jati hai. Shanto apne team ke away form par bharosa dikha rahe hain. Pichle cycle mein Bangladesh ne apne 4 jeet mein se 3 jeet videsh mein hasil ki—Pakistan aur West Indies ke khilaf. Yeh ek bada achievement hai kyunki Bangladesh traditionally ghar par hi strong raha hai. Shanto ka kehna hai ki unki team ab zyada confident hai jab baat away matches ki aati hai. Unhone kaha, “Humne pichle WTC cycle mein ghar par achha nahi kiya, lekin videsh mein jeetne ka confidence hamein ek naya josh deta hai.” Yeh baat unhone Sri Lanka tour se pehle kahi, jahan team ke paas ek nayi shuruaat ka mauka hai. Iske alawa, Shanto apni batting position ke bare mein chup hain, lekin yeh flexibility unke team ke liye ek plus point ho sakta hai. Woh khud kisi bhi number par batting karne ko taiyar hain, jo team ke liye ek strategic advantage de sakta hai.
Bowling department mein bhi Bangladesh ke paas variety hai. Spinners jaise Taijul Islam aur Mehidy Hasan Miraz team ke main weapons hain, jabki Nayeem Hasan aur uncapped Hasan Murad bhi strong options hain. Shanto ne Hasan Murad ki taareef ki, jo first-class cricket mein consistently acha perform kar rahe hain. Unhone kaha, “Galle mein ball spin karti hai, aur agar hamein doosra left-arm spinner chahiye hoga, to Murad taiyar hai.” Yeh baat dikhati hai ki team conditions ke hisaab se apni strategy badal sakti hai. Sabse bada boost hai Ebadot Hossain ki wapsi, jo do saal baad injury se recover karke team mein wapas aaye hain. Ebadot, jo 2019 mein Virat Kohli ka wicket le chuke hain, ek time par apne peak form mein the jab unhein injury hui thi. Shanto ne unki wapsi ko “team ke liye ek additional strength” bataya. Practice match mein Ebadot ne Mushfiqur Rahim ko bowl karke apni form dikhayi, jo team ke liye ek bada sign hai.
Pichle kuch matches ke performances bhi Bangladesh ke liye inspiration ka source hain. 2023 mein, Shanto ne Afghanistan ke khilaf Mirpur mein do centuries maari, jo Bangladesh ke liye ek badi jeet thi. Iske alawa, Pakistan ke khilaf Rawalpindi mein 2024 ke Test series jeet ek yaadgaar moment tha, jahan team ne ek strong Pakistan side ko hara diya. Yeh jeet dikhati hai ki Bangladesh ke paas badi teams ke khilaf ladne ka dum hai, khas kar jab baat away matches ki ho. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, jo team ke vice-captain bhi hain, ne batting aur bowling dono mein consistent contribution diya hai. Unka all-round performance, jaise 2023 WTC cycle mein top run-getter hona, team ke liye ek bada asset hai. Mushfiqur Rahim aur Mominul Haque jaise experienced players bhi middle order ko stability dete hain, jo Sri Lanka jaise tough conditions mein kaam aa sakta hai.
Lekin yeh sab itna aasan nahi hai. Sri Lanka apne ghar par ek khatarnak team hai, aur Galle ke spin-friendly pitches par unka record shandaar hai. Bangladesh ne kabhi bhi Sri Lanka mein Test series nahi jeeti, aur yeh challenge ab bhi bada hai. Shanto ki batting form bhi chinta ka vishay hai—2024 ke baad se unka Test average sirf 20.92 raha hai, jo ek captain ke liye kafi low hai. Pichle saal unhone 1650 international runs banaye the, lekin captaincy ka pressure shayad unki batting par asar daal raha hai. Bangladesh ke openers ka struggle bhi ek badi problem hai, aur agar woh jaldi wickets girte rahe, to middle order par hamesha pressure rahega. Team ke paas talent aur potential hai, lekin consistency ki kami aur tough conditions mein perform karne ka challenge unke liye ek bada rasta rok sakta hai.
