Bangladesh Eyes WTC Glory, Seeks Home Advantage Against Sri Lanka
Bangladesh cricket coach Chandika Hathurusingha is confident his team can be a contender in the World Test Championship (WTC) this cycle by beating Sri Lanka, but knows capitalizing on home games will be crucial.
Having finished ninth in the previous two WTC cycles, Bangladesh is aiming high. “We have high expectations from Test cricket this time around,” Hathurusingha declared.
The upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka, starting today, presents a golden opportunity to build momentum. Bangladesh comes off a drawn series against New Zealand in December, and will look to extend their home dominance.
“Winning most home matches will give us a good chance to be in contention for the latter stages of the WTC,” said Hathurusingha. He acknowledged the upcoming away tours against higher-ranked teams will be challenging.
Sri Lanka are yet to lose a test match in Bangladesh
Sri Lanka, however, boasts a formidable record in Bangladesh. They are undefeated in 10 Tests, winning seven and drawing three. Bangladesh has only one win against Sri Lanka, achieved in 2017 during their 100th Test match.
Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva is confident his team can maintain their dominance. “Winning the Test series is our target, and we are upbeat about it,” he declared. He believes their experience will give them an edge over a young Bangladesh side.
Bangladesh suffered a setback with the injury-forced absence of key batsman Mushfiqur Rahim. Uncapped Towhid Hridoy has been called up as his replacement.
Hathurusingha acknowledged the loss of Mushfiqur’s experience but expressed faith in his young players. “We will miss Mushfiqur, but we will back our youngsters. This is an exciting time for Bangladesh cricket,” he said.
The two teams recently shared the spoils in the white-ball formats, with Sri Lanka winning the T20Is 2-1 and Bangladesh clinching the ODIs by the same margin. Can Bangladesh translate their ODI success into Test glory and upset Sri Lanka’s unbeaten run? The upcoming series promises a thrilling battle.
