Story Bangladesh: From Minnows to Tigers! (End of England tour)

[qpeedore]

Okay, here goes. No big backstory here. Just me playing the game (ICC10) and using my imagination to write things up. Sounds like a good plan, doesn?t it?

I like to think that my strong point is my imagination and how I write things. Really, I?m not that great with graphics and all that. I?m not one for making things all flash either. This will be a text-heavy story, but I hope to capture your imagination just like my imagination runs wild while playing.

Why Bangladesh? Well, I always have a place in my heart for minnows. I also think that Bangladesh have many strong points. The most important one is their youth. They have a lot of amazing and talented youths coming up who can make an impact. Consistency is another thing. But with time and a lot of hoping, things should sort themselves out.

Some general info about the save file itself now. I have been playing for a while now so I have a fair idea who features into my plans and who don?t. I look at domestic form before selecting my teams. There are a few people who consistently get selected, and that is due to their performances over the couple of years in the game so far.

I start this story in the 2012 season. I have had some success in the past, most notably being a 1-1 test series draw at home against Australia and a 3-0 ODI sweep during that same series. Apart from that and a couple of ODI wins against the West Indies and England, there isn?t much to speak of. But the team shows promise.

Next update (in a few minutes) will feature profiles of some of my key players. I hope you stick with this story and please, provide feedback. I may choose to hold a little competition now and then depending on the response. No real prizes unfortunately, but I could perhaps link to your story or whatever in my signature or something to that nature. Depends on whether or not the mods agree to that.

Thanks for reading! Update soon!

qpeedore added 0 Minutes and 51 Seconds later...

EDIT: Okay, PlanetCricket doesn't let me split the posts if I post too early afterward, so it's added to this post.

As promised, here is a look at some of my better players and some comments from myself on why I like them.

Top order

Tamim Iqbal ? Fell away early last year but recovered nicely after being dropped from the team for a few matches. Made his highest Test score of 189 last year and hopefully can carry that form into this year as well. ODI batting has not been good, unusual for such a talented and aggressive young batsman. But without anyone to really challenge him for his spot, he holds a key role against the new ball attack in all forms of the game.

Shahriar Nafees ? A good opening partner to Tamim and a consistent batsman. Has regularly made starts but often not converting. Still, as above, nobody really challenges the openers for their spots and I?ll take a guaranteed 30 runs rather than a batsman who occasionally delivers the goods.

Mohammed Mahmadullah ? Comes in and plays intelligently. His strike rate of about 50 attests to his concentration and the value he puts on his wicket. He can smash the ball when ready as his ODI strike rate of 75 shows, but also knows when to buckle down and grind the opposition down. This has caused him to currently hold the highest Test average by an active Bangladeshi player. He also chips in with vital wickets off of his decent off spin.

Middle order

Shakib Al Hasan ? Where would Bangladesh be without him? While his batting isn?t really up to the level I would expect a great all-rounder to be at, he still contributes to the score. What is perhaps more important than that is his bowling ability. With over 100 Test and ODI wickets each at an average in the thirties (which really isn?t bad for a Bangladeshi), he is a vital part of the spin attack.

Rajin Saleh ? Old by Bangladeshi standards, he shows that experience is a good teacher. After being dropped from the team in 2010, he returned in 2011 and averaged 41 for the year. Steadies the middle order, especially if a collapse seems on the cards. Not exactly an ODI player, but important in the longer game.


Lower order

Farhad Reza ? A good all-rounder. In Tests, he averages in the low thirties batting, and just a touch under 30 bowling. Has shown that after the new ball attack has gotten tired, the opposing batsmen cannot lower their guard. Been even more impressive in ODIs with his bowling, taking 15 wickets last year at an average of 23.

Bowlers

Tareq Aziz ? Admittedly his Test bowling has not been at its best recently, averaging almost 50 runs per wicket last year, but it is his ability to take early wickets that keeps him in the team. His ODI bowling has not suffered, but as an aggressive bowler he does tend to be expensive at times. Plus, he?s no bunny with the bat and has a pretty decent batting average in both Test and ODIs.

Dolar Mahmud ? Took five wickets in his first Test outing and has never looked back. In just 12 Tests he has 60 wickets at an average just touching 33. In ODIs he has 51 at 27 per wicket.

Mohammed Shahzada - This guy is one to watch. Announced himself with a 6-wicket haul on debut and went on to score 33 not out at number 11. Not too shabby, but he would need more international experience before a fair decision can be made

Players who also feature regularly, but not constantly: Naeem Islam (Test + ODI), Alok Kapali (ODI), I Kamal (Test + ODI), Nadimuddin (Test + ODI), Mushfiqur Rahim (Test + ODI?usually a toss-up between the two keepers as to who to choose)

That?s a look at some of my players. This season begins with a tour to Sri Lanka, followed by the T20 World Cup and a home series against New Zealand in December. Next (calendar) year I start with an ODI series against Zimbabwe.

Tomorrow I?ll have the first day of the first Test against Sri Lanka most likely. Wish me luck!

 

[Chewie]

Good start mate

I always find it hard to play games as Bangladesh because I normally get frustrated after a few series because I keep getting walloped It's good to see you've had some good results, especially that 3-0 result against Australia!

Keep up the good work.

 

[Gaurav_7]

Yeah, fantastic mate. Loved to see Rajin Saleh in there. He is a good batsman and looking forward to see how Bangladesh go here. I think you have done with Ashraful which may be a good thing. Is he the same in the game as well?

 

[Dutchmen]

Gook luck dude. not a big fan, but I'll try to understand this story.

 

[qpeedore]

I always find it hard to play games as Bangladesh because I normally get frustrated after a few series because I keep getting walloped It's good to see you've had some good results, especially that 3-0 result against Australia!

Keep up the good work.

It's pretty much the same, which is why wins always mean so much to me. I expect to be beaten a lot but when they win I'm on top of the world.

Yeah, fantastic mate. Loved to see Rajin Saleh in there. He is a good batsman and looking forward to see how Bangladesh go here. I think you have done with Ashraful which may be a good thing. Is he the same in the game as well?

He is the same. Comes in, looks good for about an over, and then gets himself out cheaply. Unless he does something amazing in domestic cricket, he's not going to be part of the team.

qpeedore added 7 Minutes and 4 Seconds later...

I needed a squad of 15 to go to Sri Lanka. Barring anything drastic, it shouldn?t be too hard. After reviewing the domestic form over the last season and keeping in mind not to have too many debutants, I chose a squad that I felt most comfortable with and who would hopefully pull off an upset or two.

Openers
Tamim Iqbal
Shahriar Nafees
Amit Majumder

Middle Order
Naeem Islam
Mohammed Mahmadullah
Shakib Al Hasan
Shuvagoto Hom
Rajin Saleh
I Kamal

Wicketkeepers
Nadimuddin
Mushfiqur Rahim

Bowlers
Farhad Reza
Tareq Aziz
Dolar Mahmud
Mohammed Shahzada

Majumder goes as cover in case one of the openers gets injured. He?s had a good season last year, but really he shouldn?t be getting his first Test cap barring exceptional circumstances.

Hom has been is great form for Warwickshire and while his 2-Test average stands at 14, he?s done enough to earn himself a recall and possible selection in the final 11.

Let?s join the in-game action, why don?t we?

Weather forecast and pitch report
The weather is forecast to be cloudy throughout this test, but with minimal chance of rain. There may be some humidity around which should help the ball to swing around a bit, but really it shouldn?t be anything to worry about.

What should worry the batsmen more, however, is the pitch. There are some cracks about, which offer the seamers something from the start, especially if they get one to jump out after hitting one of those cracks. The ball is expected to go through the top layer of the pitch early on as well, which would no doubt offer the spinners something to work with from the get-go. The outfield is a bit on the slower side, but it still looks like a toss to win and bat first. Chasing even a par score in the fourth innings of this one won?t be easy with the spinners in operation.

Squads
Sri Lanka
Kumar Sangakarra (CAPT ? WKB)
Lahiru Thirimanne (Bat)
Angelo Matthews (All)
Mahela Jayawardene (Bat)
Dinesh Chandimal (Bat)
Chamara Kapugedera (Bat)
Thilan Samaraweera (All)
Saliya Saman (Bowl)
Mangala Kumara (Bowl)
Ajantha Mendis (Bowl)
Asiri Karunaratne (Bowl)

Sri Lanka have decided to debut two players in this match, Kumara and Karunaratne. With good form in the last domestic competition, it remains to be seen if they can carry it over to the highest level of the game.

Watch out for

Angelo Matthews - He absolutely tore the Bangladeshi attack apart the last time these two teams played a series, and they were seemingly at odds on how to restrict his prolific scoring.

Ajantha Mendis ? Not a big spinner of the ball, but with so many variations that batsmen never know which way the ball is coming at them. He would be a handful on this pitch, for sure.


Bangladesh
Tamim Iqbal (Bat)
Shahriar Nafees (Bat)
Mohammed Mahmadullah (All)
Rajin Saleh (CAPT - Bat)
Naeem Islam (All)
Shakib Al Hasan (All)
Shuvagoto Hom (Bat)
Mushfiqur Rahim (WK)
Farhad Reza (All)
Tareq Aziz (Bowl)
Dolar Mahmud (Bowl)

Bangladesh will rely heavily on their aggressive openers to lay the platform for a good score. Hom gets a recall to the squad and he has to show that he deserves that spot, especially with a battle going on among middle order batsmen in Bangladesh.

Watch out for

Dolar Mahmud ? He has never really had a bad match and he will lead the bowling attack, looking to make inroads into the Sri Lankan lineup.

Rajin Saleh ? The captain will no doubt want to set a good example at the crease, and with the talent to back him up, why shouldn?t he?

The toss
The two captains walk out to the middle with the match referee and one of the announcers. Sangakarra tosses the coin and Saleh says ?Heads?. It is confirmed to be Tails by the referee and Sangakarra nods and smiles as he informs Saleh of his decision. A moment later, the world learns that he has decided to bat first. He comments that chasing will not be easy and they have the bowling to take 20 wickets in this match. Saleh seems disappointed at bowling first but states that the guys have to put the ball in the right areas and back that up with good fielding if they are to restrict Sri Lanka to a score they can hopefully surpass in the first innings.

Play ? Day 1

The Sri Lankans started cautiously while the Bangladeshis attacked right from the word ?Go?. The bounce was fairly predictable, but now and then the ball hit one of the cracks and did something funny. Aziz got Sangakarra with just such a delivery, this one hitting a crack and keeping low to hit the batsman on the pads. The fielders went up, and so did the dreaded finger. Replays suggested that despite hitting him in line, the ball might have just missed the off stump. Unlucky, some would say. The Bangladeshi fielders thought the opposite. 19 for 1.

In walked Angelo Matthews. He had several big scores against Bangladesh in their last series, and they would have wanted to see him back in the pavilion as soon as possible. Of course, Angelo thought otherwise. After seeing off several balls, he decided to open his account with two glorious shots past point and to the boundary. But the fielders were not about to let him off so easily. The man at point moved a few paces back and together with tight bowling, they pinned both batsmen down. Scoring became difficult and Matthews succumbed to that. Farhad Reza got one to nip back in off the seam and trap Matthews in front. No doubt about the decision this time, and Matthews was on his way for 13 off of 41 balls.

Either Bangladesh willingly let themselves relax after the Matthews wicket or they lost their focus, but Jayawardene and Thirimanne had little problem keeping the scoreboard ticking with singles, doubles, and the occasional boundary. Sri Lanka went to lunch with the score on 74 for 2. Still a relatively even session, but one wonders what would have happened had Bangladesh been able to keep the pressure up.

After lunch, things continued to slip away from Bangladesh as the two batsmen seemed to be dealing in boundaries. Jayawardene brought up his fifty off of only 72 deliveries and continued to look dangerous. At the other end, Thirimanne was less selective in his strokeplay, but what shots he did attempt went flying to the boundary. Thirimanne brought up his fifty with a single, but Shakib had Jayawardene edging to the wicketkeeper only two balls later. He went for 66.

Candimal strode out and was aggressive from the beginning, while Thirimanne continued his silent assault. Together they took Sri Lanka to tea with the score at double nelson, 222 for 3. Sri Lanka definitely with the better of that session.

Bangladesh strode out for the third session looking determined, and this was exemplified no better than just three overs into it when Shakib had Chandimal superbly caught at silly point by Saleh. Chandimal had only added one run to his score since the break. Of course this did not deter Thirimanne, who reached his century with barely any fuss about it. Bangladesh took the new ball as soon as it was due, but Thirimanne saw this as his chance to seize the initiative and he started throwing his bat around, getting to 150 2 overs before the close of play.

End of Day 1 ? Sri Lanka 337/4, Thirimanne 159*, Al Hasan 2-96

Day 2 update tomorrow. Hope it?s not too bad. Thanks for reading so far.

 

[Gaurav_7]

As expected really from Bangladeshis. They had a nice start but lost it from second session onwards. Thirimanne is looking good for a double here. Nice to see Shakib amongst the wickets though Bangla will need some wickets early tomorrow morning.

 

[qpeedore]

Pitch report ? Day 2

The pitch seems to be holding up well. If anything, the cracks seem to have opened up a little more, and combined with the bowlers? footmarks, there is a lot to work with for the spinners. Sri Lanka would want to push the total as high as they can before unleashing their full force on Bangladesh

Tamim Iqbal speaks to a commentator before play begins. He mentions that Sri Lanka have a fairly long tail, and they are about 2 or 3 wickets away from really getting into it and hopefully dismissing the rest of the side cheaply. The ball is still fairly new, so Bangladesh want to attack the batsmen early on and unsettle them a bit. If they can get a new pair in the middle early on, they would think that they hold the advantage in the first session. He refuses to comment on what score they should be aiming to dismiss the Sri Lankans for, but hints that around 400 should be what they are looking for.

Play ? Day 2

Bangladesh needed wickets. Sri Lanka looked to press on and frustrate the attack. Things started aggressively, with the field set tightly in early on. The message was clear from Bangladesh. It almost worked right at the start too, with Mahmud getting Kapugadera to edge one to second slip. It should have been a regulation catch, but the man standing there did not get himself into a good position and he barely got a touch on it in the end. Mahmud was not impressed.

That only seemed to fire him up, and in his next over he had Thirimanne trapped on the back foot to a quick one he should have come forward to. The umpire shook his head at the LBW appeal. Replays confirmed it was a close thing but perhaps just sliding down the leg side. Perhaps.

Mahmud was in a fiery spell but luck was just not on his side. After the keeper dropped another simple catch, his frustration was evident. The very next ball he had Kapugadera playing and missing to one that went away from him off the seam. Kapugadera, lucky to be at the crease, took advantage of his two dropped catches and made his fifty before long.

Tareq Aziz had not been particularly impressive on the morning thus far, but he got the vital wicket of Thirimanne, LBW for 178 to a ball that kept so low it would probably not even have hit the stumps halfway up. Thirimanne walked back to the pavilion amidst applause from spectators and his teammates alike. Well played to him.

Eventually the strike bowlers tired and Shakib and Reza took over. They kept things tight, and Samaraweera took a full 16 deliveries before he was finally able to get off the mark with a quick single. Together he and the luckiest man in Sri Lanka Kapugadera took the score past 400 by the lunch interval.

Mahmud started things off after the break and it was clear what his intentions were. He had bowled a wonderful spell in the first session without reward, and he was not about to let things stay that way. His aggression was well-intended, and the batsmen struggled to cope with the extra pace that Mahmud seemed to be generating. Mahmud bowled with intelligence, too, and it paid off for him as he surprised Samaraweera with a short one that he could only glove down the leg side for an excellent diving catch by Mahmadullah. 426 for 6 and Kapugedera was left with the long tail. He was on 82, though. Dropped in the twenties and again in the thirties. Bangladesh no doubt hoped that they would not rue those missed chances.

Aggressive field settings always leaves wide open spaces for batsmen, and Saman managed to put the ball away for a couple of boundaries before Mahmud had him fishing for one outside the off stump and providing Rahim with a simple catch. This time he held on to it.

Kapugedera farmed as much of the strike as possible and steadily progressed into the nineties. But on 98, he had a momentary lapse in concentration and played down the wrong line to a Shakib arm ball and was given out LBW.

The tail seemed to have orders to score as much as they could, and this they did. They swung at everything and the shots that connected went for four more often than not. Mahmud struck once again before Shakib took the last wicket, another LBW decision but this one the result of some serious turn in the pitch.

End of Sri Lanka 1st innings ? 479/10, Thirimanne 178, Al Hasan 4-147

They interviewed Dolar Mahmud, with Hom translating. His two aggressive spells were noted and through Hom, he said that he enjoyed bowling when there is some help for the bowler. It was unfortunate that the two dropped catches were both off of his bowling, but things like that happen sometimes. He hoped that he could relax for a while without being needed again too soon.

Play resumed after the short innings break, with Tamim and Nafees coming out to the middle. Tamim would take first strike. It would be a tricky little period of play, with less than an hour to go until tea, but they had to stay focused.

It did not take long for that entire strategy to be shaken up. Five balls, in fact. Saman caught Nafees on the back foot right in front of the stumps. No doubt that the ball would have knocked over the leg stump. The ball did keep a little low, but Nafees had been in the field for a long time. Surely he would have noticed the variable bounce? Too late to notice it now anyway, as he walked back hanging his head with a big round duck?s egg next to his name.

The second ball of the very next over, Karunaratne had Tamim LBW. This one could not possibly be blamed on the pitch, or even perhaps on Tamim himself. It was just a piece of superb fast bowling. Two down and only 5 runs on the board. Bangladesh had seen this sort of situation too often in the past.

Rajin Saleh came out still adjusting his pads and with his gloves off. Clearly he had not been expecting to be out in the middle so soon. But if he was unprepared, he showed no sign of it after smashing the last two balls of the over for back to back boundaries. Mahmadullah joined in as well, hitting 3 boundaries of his own, but he tried one shot too many and managed to get a bottom edge to the keeper, going for only 18. Saman continued his spell, showing everyone that he belongs at Test level by bowling a peach of a delivery the very next ball. A helpless Naeem Islam could only edge the ball and a simple catch was taken at second slip.

Saman was on a hat trick and the crowd was expectant. Not a large crowd in any sense of the term, but they were noisy. And they grew even noisier as Saman prepared to bowl the hat trick ball to Shakib. He ran in, got the ball to move into the left hander off the pitch, and Shakib shaped to play it but pulled his bat inside the line at the very last moment. Saman let out a cry of disbelief at his luck and shook his head as he walked back to his mark. Never before has a bowler been so disappointed to take two wickets in the over.

Stability was needed, and thankfully Saleh and Shakib provided just that, at least until tea. Bangladesh went into the hut at 44 for 4. The first target to aim at, if at all possible, was 280 to avoid the follow on. Anything further than that would be a bonus.

Sri Lanka came out after tea buzzing with life. Bangladesh came out with their tails between their legs. Scoring was tough at the start of the session, with the bowlers keeping it tight and restricting the runs. Saleh fought his way to 28 before Mendis struck with a ball that just held its line and forced Saleh to glove a catch to silly point.

Hom came to the wicket with a lot of pressure on him. After a great season with Warwickshire so far this year, he had earned his third Test cap and he needed to show everyone why he belonged in the side. He promptly set about this by flaying the ball to all parts before finally calming down once he got to 25 and letting the number of balls faced actually overtake his number of runs. He would not last much longer, however, as that sly little man Mendis got him with the carom ball for 33. 116 for 6 and certainly Bangladesh were out of their league.

Thankfully no further wickets fell before the end of the day and Bangladesh would have been glad to go back inside to pray to the rain gods for a washout for the rest of the match.

End of Day 2 ? Bangladesh 140/6, Al Hasan 45*, Saman 3-38

Saman was interviewed after play ended. His English was poor but understandable and he basically said that he was excited at the idea of a hat-trick, and he wished he had taken that third wicket. They had the upper hand and tomorrow they hoped to finish the job and make Bangladesh bat again.

Damned if I let that happen, though. I?m going to make THEM bat instead! I hope?Day 3?s play update tomorrow.

As a side note, I tend to write more when things are happening. Yesterday?s play was good but fairly boring by my standards. Two batsmen go about scoring at a decent but not exciting rate without providing much chances to average bowling. Today was way more exciting, and that?s why today seems so long by comparison. I must say that I enjoyed writing about today a lot more though. Hope that tomorrow is just as good, but from my point of view!

 

[Chewie]

Man you're in a bit of a sticky situation now! Nicely written, and I hope that you guys can avoid the follow on

 

[razahood]

Wow man great start i'll follow you all the way

razahood added 0 Minutes and 49 Seconds later...

Bangladesh having some trouble here

 

[Gaurav_7]

Typical Bangladesh. I'm waiting for a day when they finally lift up and win the matches consistently. Hopefully, it comes on soon here.

 

[Dutchmen]

never expected Thirimanne would have played that well. He showed such a class innings and that gave Lankans a enormous confidence for the team. and what a class allround performance from Al Hasan. bowled spectacularly and batting at the moment which should be key for they team. and if he carry's a long way, then Bangladesh may have a chance of lead a bit.

 

[qpeedore]

Thanks for the comments, guys. It's wonderful to see the interest after only two days of play.

As promised, here's the third day's play.


Pitch report ? Day 3

The pitch continues to offer assistance for the bowlers, and the buzz around the park is how much more Bangladesh would make. The bookies are offering great odds for anyone brave enough to bet on them avoiding the follow on. Not that betting is a good thing, mind you.

No player interview this morning, but instead the analysts review a series of deliveries that highlight the state of the pitch and showing some of the more spectacular moments so far. Shakib?s ball to dismiss Karunaratne is shown as evidence of the massive turn that is possible if the guys give the ball a good rip. Also of note are a couple of Saman deliveries and of course, the mystery that continues to be Ajantha Mendis.

Play ? Day 3

Shakib and Rahim began the day cautiously, as would be expected from two men who really had to bat for as long as possible to have any hope of saving the match. It took Shakib all of twenty minutes to get the extra 5 runs he needed for his fifty. He brought it up with a double off of 109 balls and celebrated it minimally. He put his head down and prepared to face the next delivery. Good attitude.

He would unfortunately add nothing further to his score as he holed out to mid on. Admittedly the ball was there to be hit. Short, wide, and it just sat up. But the bat turned in his hands and the ball went straight up into the air. Angelo Matthews had time to adjust his sunglasses before the ball fell into his waiting hands. Two balls later, Reza tried the counterattack, but he was caught out of the crease and provided a simple stumping for the keeper.

The wickets continued to tumble as the tail just could not cope with the quality of the spin attack. When Rahim went just a few balls later, it was just a matter of time until the final wicket fell and the innings was over.

End of Bangladesh 1st innings ? 162/10, Al Hasan 50, Mendis 5-51

As expected, Sri Lanka enforced the follow on. After a short break, the openers Tamim and Nafees walked out to the middle with more than a big job on their hands. There was still more than an hour until lunch and eight full sessions possible after that.

They started nicely enough, but Nafees was trapped in front in the fifth over, going for only 9. Mahmadullah came out and he and Tamim took the team to lunch without further loss.

Sri Lanka went all out with their spin attack after lunch, crowding the batsmen with no fewer than six men around the bat from the very first over. Unfortunately one of the downsides to that is that guys who just are not used to fielding in so close often find themselves with a sharp chance to snatch out of the air. One such chance came two balls after the interval, when the ball peeled off the edge of Mahmadullah?s bat and went straight to a close?uh?a silly?backward point? In any case, the chance was put down and Mahmadullah breathed a sigh of relief so loud it could almost be heard on the stump mic.

He could not capitalize on it, however, and was bowled just a few overs later. Normally batsmen play for turn and get caught with the arm ball. This time he played for the arm ball and was caught by one that turned. He went for 40.

Tamim tried to be the patient one as Saleh came out and started counterattacking. However patience is not his strong point and he was out LBW for 49, one run short of what would have been a very good 50. Somehow, a very good 49 does not sound as good. With the fall of one wicket often comes another, and with Bangladesh there is always the feeling that a wicket is just around the corner. Saleh proved just that as he fell to Kumara for only 24.

Bangladesh tried hard. They really did. But the spinners were just too good and they were backed up by great fielding. Wicket after wicket continued to fall, and it soon became a fight for survival instead of a game based on scoring runs. Still, Sri Lanka kept their aggressive intents up, and the wickets just came to them. Some runs were scored, a byproduct of the fact that there were zero fielders anywhere past the central square, really. There was no real resistance and soon enough the match was completed inside of three days.

End of Bangladesh 2nd innings ? 227/10, Iqbal 49, Mendis 5-53
Sri Lanka win by an innings and 90 runs

At the post-match ceremony, Saleh says that their first innings fielding and bowling really was not at the best it could be, and they suffered as a result. They now had to sit down and discuss strategies for the next game and hopefully be more competitive there.

Sangakarra says that it is always great to record a win. He had special praise for his spin attack and said that it would be great to have two extra days to rest up before heading back to training for the next game. There would be very little thought given to letting their guard down.

Man of the match Thirimanne says that it?s great to get out there and score a lot of runs for your team, especially when it set such a good total that the opposition could not chase down. He thanks God and his family and hopes to continue the good form.

So I lost the first Test. No real surprise. Sri Lanka is damn strong. I have some thinking to do before the second Test. Anybody from the 15-man squad you think should be in the final 11 for that match? Does anybody need to be dropped? I have my ideas already but it?s good to know what others think. Any questions, just let me know and I?ll answer them as best as I can. I'll have the first day of the second Test up in a couple of days. Tomorrow I'll sit down and go through each player one by one as I debate their place in the side for the next Test.

 

[Varun]

Actually impressive writing, though I didn't read the whole of it. You can include some graphics etc. to make it more interesting.

 

[Dutchmen]

unrealistic game here. unfortunate for Bangladesh that they had 162 in there first innings which is hug bug performance. Al Hasan added a fifty but didn't carried longer. that is really frustrating for them. Lankan bowlers bowled particularly well in the first and either second. Mendis 'wow' 10 wicket haul in a match, that is a reaper.

Impressive writing dude!

Actually impressive writing, though I didn't read the whole of it. You can include some graphics etc. to make it more interesting.

have a look at this dude!

For ICC especially it's hard to include good graphics because the game doesn't have the best graphics in the first place...

 

[Gaurav_7]

Mendis is a gun! Disappointing for me as a Bangla supporter.