NEW DELHI: Bangladesh's hopes for a turnaround in energy ahead of the second and final Test against Sri Lanka rest significantly on the return of veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, stated stand-in coach Nic Pothas on Friday.
After a disheartening defeat in the first match of the series, where Sri Lanka outplayed Bangladesh by 328 runs and restricted the hosts to below 200 in both innings, Shakib's comeback to the Test squad for the Chittagong match, commencing Saturday, is eagerly anticipated. His return follows an absence of over a year, during which he was occupied with parliamentary duties after being elected to the Bangladeshi parliament in January.
"I think any team that has Shakib in it is very fortunate. We welcome him back," Pothas told reporters.
"It is always great to have him in the change room. His energy is very infectious," he said.
"He has a lot of experience for the guys to learn from, and whenever Shakib is back, he's a giver. So we really enjoy having him around the group."
Pothas also came to the defence of Bangladesh's under-fire batsmen, attributing their struggles to the ongoing process of generational change within the team.
"We have a very young and inexperienced group. There was a very elite group before this. Now we have to build," he said.
"The only thing that we request is that people be patient. These are very good young players, but they are young, and they're playing against an experienced team, and it will take time."
Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva expressed confidence that his team's top-order batsmen would deliver in Chittagong after their lackluster performance in the first Test.
"They had been performing well in the last few matches. I have no doubt that they will definitely perform in this match," he told reporters.
Sri Lanka displayed dominance in Sylhet despite early setbacks, with Nishan Madushka's dismissals for two and 10 posing little trouble.
In a remarkable feat, middle-order batsmen Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis each scored a century in both innings of the game. This achievement places them in elite company, joining only two other pairs from the same country to accomplish this in a Test match.
The legendary Australian brothers Greg and Ian Chappell, as well as Pakistan's Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali, are the other two duos to achieve this remarkable feat in Test cricket history.
(With AFP inputs)
