Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh 1st Test Predictions and Series Preview

Normally, Sri Lanka would be de facto favourites in a Test series against Bangladesh, but given the state and recent form of the two teams, it would be a sizable upset if Bangladesh manage to take anything home from this series, barring help from the elements leading to a draw. Sri Lanka seem to have found some solid players that are helping the team find some stability during a troubling period in the team’s history. Bangladesh on the other hand seem to have forgotten their very love for the game, and as I have said before, their players look like mercenaries and not a cohesive unit of brothers. Before the two sides take the field for a 5-day engagement, let’s take a look at how they stand.

Sri Lanka

Full squad for Test series vs Bangladesh

Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Dasun Shanaka, Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Ramesh Mendis, Vishwa Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Roshen Silva, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dilshan Madushanka, Praveen Jayawickrama, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando.

Sri Lanka predicted XI for 1st Test vs Bangladesh

Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Dasun Shanaka, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Roshen Silva, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Suranga Lakmal, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dushmantha Chameera, Wanindu Hasaranga.

Sri Lanka team preview and form

• With Karunaratne back in charge, the Lankans will no doubt be trying out some new names. 

• Being the highest scorer at this venue, Angelo Mathews will likely be in the side and fancy a turn with the bat.

• There will also be eyes on newcomer Pathum Nissanka, as well as debutants Praveen Jayawickrama and Dilshan Madushanka.

• As the Pallekele has a spin-friendly pitch, Expect the likes of Hasaranga, Jayawickrama, and Ramesh Mendis to play important roles. 

• After being bested by England at home, the Lankans will be eager to get some wins under their belt - especially since they haven’t won a home Test series since 2018. 

Sri Lanka key players for 1st Test vs Bangladesh

Lahiru Thirimanne: Thirimanne has been in decent form as of late, and is likely to be the top scorer for the Lankans in the series.

Pathum Nissanka: The intrepid youngster will have expectations riding on him.

Wanindu Hasaranga: To be fair, this could very well be Praveen Jayawickrama, but at least one of the spinners will take a fair few wickets.

Suranga Lakmal: The experienced fast bowler will look to pick up some extra scalps for the road - unless he’s rested and replaced by Vishwa Fernando.

Bangladesh

Full squad for Test series vs Sri Lanka

Mominul Haque (c), Liton Das (wk), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mohammad Mithun (wk), Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Abu Jayed, Taijul Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali, Shoriful Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Mukidal Islam Mugdho, Shuvagata Hom, Shohidul Islam, Qazi Nurul Hasan Sohan (wk).

Bangladesh predicted XI for 1st Test vs Sri Lanka

Mominul Haque (c), Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Jayed, Mukidul Islam.

Bangladesh team preview and form

• Under Mominul Haque’s questionable leadership, Bangladesh will have a steep hill to climb against the hosts.

• Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal all need to be in better form than they recently have been in - especially since there’s no Mahmudullah Riyad to help them out.

• In lieu of Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh is a little light on that spin flair, and with the Lankans knowing every inch of the Kandy pitch, the spinners will have to come up with something special to cause any trouble for the batsmen.

• Taskin Ahmed leads the bowling attack, and with no Mustafizur, no Rubel, and not even Shafiul, he must team up with Abu Jayed, Shoriful Islam, or Ebadot Hossain to provide a threatening pace attack.

• Although marginally better in recent years than they used to be, Bangladesh are by the worst Test side in the world with the exception of Zimbabwe, and perhaps Afghanistan and Ireland until those two prove their worth against bigger teams.

Bangladesh key players for 1st Test vs Sri Lanka

Mominul Haque: The captain needs to step up and help his team dish out a strong fight.

Liton Das: A good player of spin, Liton must do better than he’s been doing as of late.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz: The off spinner will most likely be just as useful with the bat as with the ball.

Taijul Islam: With no Shakib around, Taijul must skills to show the world what he’s capable of.

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Head to head

With 16 wins to 1 loss and 3 draws, it’s no surprise that Sri Lanka is the favourite for this series, but Bangladesh did get their only win the last time they visited the Lankan isles, so it shouldn’t be an easy win for the home side by any means.

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh 1st Test pitch report and weather conditions

The pitch at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium isn’t very supportive of batting, with spinners getting plenty of movement and the ball slowing down off of the surface, helping fast bowlers who use pace variations. This gets worse as a Test goes on, with more and more turn in the latter days. Expect the team winning the toss to choose to bat - as avoiding the fourth innings is important - and look to put up at least 350.

Unfortunately for all parties involved, there’s very little chance of this Test seeing 5 full days of play, with afternoon rain being all but certain on days 1 and 2, possible on days 3 and 4, and highly probable on the last day. At least in this case, there’s no need to worry about potentially unfair DLS calculations. Other than the rain, conditions are great for play.

Can the Lankans start off the two-match series with a win? Or will the visitors surprise everyone for a rare triumph? Find out if our Sri Lanka versus Bangladesh 1st Test predictions come true starting Wednesday!