Bashar confident of improving record against Sri Lanka

Inspired by the recent ODI victory against Sri Lanka, Habibul Bashar, the Bangladesh captain, is confident of improving on Bangladesh's poor Test record against Sri Lanka.

When Bangladesh visited Sri Lanka in September 2005, they were blanked 3-0 in the one-day series and suffered innings-defeats in both Tests. "We know our Test record is not good at all against Sri Lanka. But that all happened in the past," Habibul Bashar told The Daily Star. "This time we are confident that we can do something what we showed in the one-day series."

Sri Lanka were beaten for the first time by Bangladesh in the second one-dayer at Bogra and Mahela Jayawardene said that Muttiah Muralitharan joining the Test squad, after being rested for the one-day series, could make the difference. "A Test match is different altogether. You need to have a lot of patience and temperament, especially in this sort of slow wicket. We have to work hard to do well in Test series," said Jayawardene. "He [Muralitharan] has taken 580 odd wickets in Test cricket. So every team will want to have him in the side. His presence here for the Test is of course a big encouragement for us."

Bangladesh have recalled Mushfiqur Rahim, who made his Test debut against England in 2005 and led Bangladesh in the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka, to the squad for the first Test which begins on Tuesday at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium.