For Sri Lanka, it was a tough day in the field, though not entirely unexpected given how the early days here generally favour batters. Once the ball softened, they found it hard to maintain pressure. In fact, just 2 maiden overs across 64 overs of spin paint a clear picture of their struggles to build sustained pressure. The second new ball is only 10 overs old, so there should still be some assistance for the bowlers if they hit the right areas. Can Sri Lanka make early inroads this morning and turn things around? Stick around, as the first ball on Day 2 is not far away.

Bangladesh won the toss but made a shaky start, slipping to 45/3. However, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim came together to steady the innings and repair the early damage. The pair stitched an unbeaten 247-run stand, with both batters notching up centuries in batting-friendly conditions. Their partnership has set up the visitors nicely, especially considering the history of this venue where batting last is often a daunting task. They will now look to build further and post a massive first innings total.

Hello and welcome to Day 2 of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle. It was a day of dominance for the visitors on Day 1, as they controlled proceedings for the better part of the day. We were treated to uninterrupted action on the opening day, and the weather looks good for more of the same today.

... DAY 2, SESSION 1 ...

Bangladesh, of course, will be the dominant side heading into the sheds, as not only have they got a good amount of runs on the first day, but also they do have enough wickets in hand to stretch the score further, with two proper batters to follow next. But one thing is for certain, once this pitch starts to bite, it will be a landmine for the batters and to have big runs on the board in the first innings, will always benefit the batting side. However, we have time and again seen Bangladesh slipping off collapses, and come Day 2, they will aim to prevent that this time around. For Sri Lanka, it is all about picking quick wickets the next day, coming with a fresh energy and intensity, to avoid Bangladesh run away with a huge score. The first ball on Day 2 will be bowled at 4.30 am GMT, on Wednesday, 18th June. But our build up will begin well in advance. Till then, take care, cheers!

This partnership was a very crucial one, not only from Bangladesh’s point of view, as they were in early trouble, losing three wickets on just 45, but in context of form of Shanto and Rahim as well. The two weren’t in the best of nick coming into this series, but their unbeaten 247-run stand has helped their confidence big time. Particularly Rahim, who was coming off a very lean patch since quite a few innings, and the one who loves to play against Sri Lanka, and has scored the most runs than any opposition, with a healthy average. He scored his fourth century against Sri Lanka, while Najmul Hossain Shanto, the skipper, too made his presence effective with a remarkable century of his own.

It looked like Sri Lanka was more on the defensive in the third session, trying to bowl as many dots to stem the run flow, as the two batters milked ones and twos with absolute ease. The pitch had no demons on it, and the ball came really well onto the bat, to which Shanto and Rahim made hay with the sunshine and just didn’t look uncomfortable for one bit. On such a pitch that is so docile, the Lankan bowlers lacked a bit in variation, which made them a bit too predictable as well.

As it has been the trend at Galle, you see a lot of spin throughout the day, as pacers come for a short burst here and there. The same happened today as well as out of 90 overs, 64 overs were bowled by the spinners. But they too, failed to make any impact and even the ‘Galle’dozer, Prabath Jayasuriya, was dealt with ease, and Tharindu Rathnayake, though picked up two wickets, went for runs as the batters just didn’t allow him to settle with his lines and lengths. The two batters were very effective with their slog sweeps and paddles and anything loose offered was put away as well.

Barring the first hour in the first session, where the ball did the talking with some lateral movement and a bit of turn, it has been a barren period for the bowlers as they have toiled hard throughout the day in desperate need of wickets, but have got zero assistance from the surface. It has appeared to be a haven for the batters and the two experienced campaigners in Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto looked completely untroubled through and through, bailing Bangladesh out of a precarious 45/3.

A job very well done by Bangladesh with the bat, and the day belongs well and truly to the visitors as they have gone unbeaten for two straight sessions, without losing a single wicket. Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto have been million-dollar with the bat for Bangladesh and have virtually blunted the Lankan bowling attack. And for both these teams, who will be playing the least number of Tests - 12 each - in this WTC 2025/27 cycle, every match and every result holds a huge importance.

We are down to the final over of the first day of this first Test. And Prabath Jayasuriya (28-0-85-0) will wrap it up with the ball.