Bangladesh reap rewards of meeting behind closed doors in form of win in 100th Test

Bangladesh’s landmark victory over Sri Lanka in their 100th Test owes much to a team meeting that took place behind closed doors after their crushing defeat against Sri Lanka in Galle.

Sports Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 19 March 2017, 03:22 PM
Updated : 19 March 2017, 03:22 PM

The team clinched a four-wicket victory over the islanders on an eventful final day to square the two-Test series 1-1 at the P Sara Oval in Colombo on Sunday.

After a 259-run defeat in Galle, the Tigers felt the need to reflect on themselves.

Man-of-the-Match Tamim Iqbal said at the presentation on Sunday, “I think this win started when we lost the match in Galle. We had a long chat with the coach, and the players stepped up.”

Coach Chandika Hathurusingha thinks his disciples deserved the win.

“I am very happy for the boys. They really worked hard for this win, especially after Galle Test. They had a closed-door meeting and came out to say that they would do things differently, and this is the result,” the Sri Lankan mentor said.

“I didn’t do much. They decided to need to change. I prompted the questions. They had a heart-to-heart conversation in the dressing room for nearly one hour. The positive thing we saw was their energy over the five days.

“We still have some areas to improve, but there’s vast difference in body language and effort in this game,” he added.

It was also Bangladesh’s first drawn Test series against Sri Lanka who blanked Australia 3-0 at home last year.