Lankan Lions on the prowl in Tigers' den

Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka succumbed to heavy defeats in their previous Test series and the prime reason behind that was batting failure. Bangladesh registered two sub-100 scores in their previous four Test innings while Sri Lanka were all-out under 180 thrice in the last four innings. Both the teams are a little bit short on bowling strength. Sri Lanka's Suranga Lakmal has retired from this format while Bangladesh are missing their premier fast bowler in Taskin Ahmed due to injury. But Sri Lanka will look to start afresh under new coach Chris Silverwood and on the other hand, Bangladesh will be keen to leave behind the overseas failures and win their first home Test against Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lanka have made as many as eight changes to their Test squad from the India tour and are likely to make quite a few changes in the best XI as well. Their main strength will be spin bowling and a solid top six that include captain Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva and Angelo Mathews. Mendis and de Silva participated in the recently concluded one-day competition in Bangladesh - the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) - and gathered a lot of knowledge about the conditions and players. Lasith Embuldeniya and Praveen Jayawickrama, Sri Lanka's slow left-arm duo, can cause serious damage to a batting line-up that is short of confidence against quality spin bowling.

Bangladesh, though, will be bolstered by the return of Shakib Al Hasan who is going to play his first Test in more than five months. The trio of Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim will play in the same Test match after more than a year although Mushfiqur has been under the pump for a while because of off-form.

Shakib hasn't been a regular Test player for the last few years and his fitness is something which may be a cause for concern as he has just recovered from Covid-19. But with the all-rounder finally back, Bangladesh might field a three-man spin attack.

New ball the key

In his first media interaction after taking up the role as Sri Lanka's head coach, Chris Silverwood gave the bowlers a challenge to be hot in the first 12 balls and make a difference. That's a clear indication that they have a specific plan against Tamim Iqbal who was brutal against the new ball the last time the two sides met. Tamim scored 90, 74 not out, 92 and 24 at a rapid pace in the last series against Sri Lanka and if he can repeat this, the visitors will immediately be on the back foot.

Sri Lanka will look to exploit Tamim's weakness against left-arm seam and so Vishwa Fernando will have a big role.

The pitch isn't likely to provide the bowlers with much assistance and that's why the bowlers have to make early inroads when the seam is hard and new. Bangladesh had pretty bad starts with the new ball in the last three Test matches. They leaked too many runs in the first session and that hurt them big time.

With Taskin not available, Khaled Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain must take the responsibility of giving a good start with the ball. Bangladesh bowling coach Allan Donald also stressed on making the best use of the new ball inside the first 30 overs. 

Spotlight on the captains 

Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque has been under immense pressure because of his lack of form with the bat and his attitude as captain at times on the field. He has only one fifty in the last 12 innings which is very unlike the experienced batter. His weakness against spin was badly exposed in South Africa. But the first Test against Sri Lanka has presented him with an opportunity to return to form. He averages a staggering 66.83 at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) and has a century in every three innings at this venue.

Sri Lanka are also his most favourite opponents. The southpaw averages 58.93 against them and has four centuries and three fifties. 

Lankan captain Karunaratne too enjoys playing against Bangladesh. The left-handed opener averages about 50 against Bangladesh has three centuries - one of them a double hundred - and two fifties against them. He has been in good form with the bat as well, having scored a brilliant hundred in his last Test innings against India in Bangalore. 

Day one of the first Test will begin at 10 am local time on Sunday at the ZACS in Chattogram. Bangladesh have lost three out of their last five outings on this ground. Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva got big hundreds here the last time the two sides met. That 2018 Test match saw a run fest which Bangladesh eventually managed to save thanks to Mominul and Litton Das' defiant batting.