Batsmen start in fine fettle

Initially the bowlers got some swing but Tamim Iqbal and Mominul Haque played sensibly; they took time to settle down in the middle after Soumya Sarkar was out fishing outside off stump.

Tamim then got out from his shell to punish the bowlers as the wicket became easy for batting. The batting approach was really good and one could not expect a much better start ahead of a series than the way our team started in the practice match.

This was how Bangladesh team manager and former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud described the Tigers' performance on the opening day of the two-day practice match against Sri Lanka Board President's XI at the De Zoysa Stadium in Moratuwa yesterday.

“Tamim batted brilliantly and the other top batsmen also scored some runs. Liton Das looked good down the order, so it was a good outing on the first day,” said Mahmud.

When asked whether it was the ideal combination which was batting in the match, Mahmud said: “Yes, you can say more or less it's the combination which we are looking for in the two-match Test series.”

Despite a late storm and cloudy conditions, Bangladesh got the chance to bat 90 overs and amassed 391 for seven at stumps thanks to opener Tamim Iqbal, who hit a fine century, and young wicket-keeper batsman Liton Das who scored an unbeaten half-century.

The home side will come out to bat today in a game where each side is allowed to bat for 90 overs.

Tamim and Soumya opened the innings after President's XI captain Dinesh Chandimal won the toss and elected to field. The visitors lost Soumya for nine and it was certainly a disappointing start for the young left-hander who has been picked ahead of the injured Imrul Kayes.

Tamim scored 136 off 182 balls before retiring after tea. The left-hander, who has not scored big since his hundred against England in October last year, shared 143 runs for the second wicket with Mominul Haque. Mominul struck a fluent, unbeaten 73 off 103 balls with 10 fours before retiring.

Tamim reached lunch on a sedate 38 off 93 balls with four boundaries, but opened up thereafter as he scored a further 98 off 89 balls and added five more boundaries and seven sixes

The other highlight of the Bangladesh innings was wicketkeeper batsman Liton's unbeaten 57, skipper Mushfiqur Rahim, batting at number four instead of number six and perhaps hinting at a promotion up the order for the first Test, scored 21 before being bowled by Chamika Karunaratne, the most successful President's XI bowler with three for 61.

Shakib Al Hasan also batted briefly and scored 30. Mahmudullah Riyad, batting at number six, chipped in with a useful 43.