By Srian Obeyesekere

Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim struck imposing unbeaten centuries, the skipper 135 off 260 balls sword edged by 14 boundaries and a six and Rahim 105 off 186 in a contrastingly sparse 5 to the ropes in typically chalk and cheese like defining knocks of aggression opposed to the watchful sedate in batting Bangladesh to a box seat first day’s score of 292 for 3 wickets by a telling unbroken 247 for a greater part of the 90 overs, 73.5 to be exact and in terms of deliveries 443 in a brilliant fourth wicket bonding to riding out a 3 for 45 rut in the first test against Sri Lanka in subduing an opening hour’s strike by the host team when quick Asitha Fernando removed Amanul Haque caught behind by wicket-keeper Kusal Mendis for a duck facing ten balls on the opening day of the first test on a batting friendly track at the Galle International Stadium on Tuesday

The 29-year old debutant off spinner Tharindu Ratnayake came on to claim his maiden test wicket having co-opener Shadman Islam edging one to Dhananjaya de Silva having laboured for 53 minutes for 14. He sped to his second scalp luring Mominul Haque to also snicking one to the Lankan skipper.

But that was all of the first day’s joy the Lankans would savour as Shanto put to play the brilliance of stroke play artistry that has fast propelled him to big stage stardom with Mushfiqur Rahim living up to the reliability that has thrust him to be Bangladesh’s man for crisis moments as the duo ground out a new look Lankan attack that had Milan Rathnayake sharing the new ball with the experienced Asitha Fernando on a Galle surface that did not play true for bowlers as it has been traditionally been known to.