Bangladesh narrowly missed out on a rare overseas Test victory as the rain-affected series opener against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium ended in a draw on Saturday. Despite holding a 251-run lead on the final day and a 50-over window available to force a result, Bangladesh chose a conservative route.

Overnight rain and a wet outfield delayed play on Day 5, reducing the morning session to just 80 minutes. With the match delicately poised, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto opted to press on for a personal milestone, his second century of the match, rather than pushing aggressively for a win. He eventually declared Bangladesh’s second innings closed at 285 for 6, but not before nearly an hour of valuable time had been consumed and momentum had shifted.

Shanto’s feat was undeniably historic, he became just the 15th player in Test history to score centuries in both innings of a match on two separate occasions, having previously done so against Afghanistan in 2023. Yet, the timing of his declaration will be debated, especially as Bangladesh sought only its second Test win over Sri Lanka in 27 encounters.