The Sri Lanka-Bangladesh rivalry went a notch higher when a snake charmer was seen at the Galle International Stadium during the Test match, which ended in a draw. This was an unexpected and strange sight at any cricketing event and visuals of it have gone viral on social media. The man was seen enjoying the action while seated peacefully on the ground with two spectacled cobras and a monkey.
It was the last Test for Sri Lanka stalwart Angelo Mathews. He made his Test debut in Galle, played his 100th Test at the same venue as well, and also chose to retire here. The teams will move to Colombo for the second Test, which will commence on June 25. But the one, who caught most eyes online was the snake charmer, which was understandable.
Bangladesh and ‘Nagin Dance’ celebration
In a T20I match between the two nations in 2018, Nazmul Islam Apu performed the 'Nagin Dance' celebration. The celebration wasn't an attempt to make fun of the batsman or Sri Lanka as a team as Apu had been doing it in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) since 2016. However, Sri Lanka's Danushka Gunathilaka responded to the gesture in the following encounter.
The story might have ended there, but Mushfiqur Rahim kept it going. Mushfiqur performed the 'Nagin Dance' immediately after leading Bangladesh to victory in a high-scoring match later that year in the tri-nation Nidahas Trophy featuring hosts Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India. The Sri Lankan players and local supporters were not pleased with the act.
Then came the match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, which was a virtual knockout. Bangladesh nearly forfeited the game as then skipper Shakib Al Hasan summoned back his batsmen after the on-field umpire declined a wide ball in a tense final over. However, common sense prevailed and Mahmudullah scored a scorching 12 off three balls to give Bangladesh one of their most memorable T20I wins. The 'Nagin Dance' celebration in the middle of the field was then held to commemorate the victory by the entire Bangladeshi squad and support personnel.
The stadium's full capacity crowd was then seen cheering for India in the final, and when Bangladesh lost on the final ball, they erupted in loud celebrations.
Ever since the 'Nagin Dance' celebration has occurred every time Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have faced off.
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