After setting an imposing target of 294/8 thanks to an Angelo Mathews masterclass, Sri Lanka wrapped Bangladesh innings for 172 to record a huge win by 122 runs to complete the whitewash in the 3rd and final ODI of the tour at the R. Premadasa International Stadium on Wednesday (31st).
Sri Lanka Cricket has dedicated this game to an unsung hero, Nuwan Kulasekara who announced his retirement from international cricket last week.
Read Also: 3rd ODI dedicated to Nuwan Kulasekara
Many changes from both teams
Sri Lanka rested 4 players from their winning combination with Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana. Dhananjaya de Silva and Lahiru Thirimanne sitting out. Wanidu Hasaranga, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka and Kasun Rajitha were slotted in as their replacements. Bangladesh too made 2 changes to their playing XI with Rubel Hossain and Anamul Haque coming into the team to replace Mustafizur Rahman and Mosaddek Hossain.
Home skipper Dimuth Karunaratne won the toss and decided to bat first
No Joy for Avishka this time
One of the brightest prospects to be discovered in the last few months for Sri Lanka Cricket, dashing right-hander Avishka Fernando couldn’t continue his good form this time. Fernando was trapped dead in front of the wicket by right-arm seamer Shafiul Islam for 6.
Throwing away the good start
After the initial wicket of Fernando, Kusal Perera and skipper Dimuth Karunaratne had to dig deep and grind as the Bangladesh bowling attack enjoyed a good powerplay in the first 10 overs. But the pair waited for the bad balls and slowly started to push the run rate up.
They added a decent partnership of 83 runs for the 2nd wicket before Karunaratne was dismissed pretty tamely popping the ball to wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim trying to paddle sweep off Taijul Islam’s bowling. Soon after Kusal Janith fell too, trying an expansive drive for 42.
Photo Album – Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | 3rd ODI
Mendis, Mathews solid in the middle
Sri Lanka found themselves 3 for 98 in the 22nd over and the middle order pair Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews, as they have done throughout the whole series, steadied the ship for Sri Lanka with risk-free cricket.
Kusal Mendis, who has enjoyed playing against this opposition, racked up a 58-ball 54, playing the aggressor’s role while his senior partner anchored the innings. The dismissal of Mendis ended the 101-run partnership.
Dasun Shanaka’s Blitz
Despite having to wait in the wings in the first two ODIs after his special innings in the warm-up match, Dasun Shanaka came out all guns blazing and after his 14-ball stay, he had already made 30 runs with 2 fours and 2 sixes.
On the other end, Mathews too joined the party, showing his skill and experience, taking more risks now, and putting pressure on the opposition bowling attack.
Mathews played the perfect finisher’s role as he was dismissed in the final over, when he was on 87, setting a target of 295 for the Tigers.
Rajitha makes the perfect start
Bangladesh skipper’s horrendous form continued at the beginning of their team’s reply as right-arm seamer Kasun Rajitha managed to dismiss the veteran opener for 2 runs and soon after his partner Anamul Haque for 10 runs.
Rajitha bowled a brilliant 5-over spell upfront for just 17 runs with 2 wickets to put brakes to the Bangladesh innings which already needed almost 6.00 runs per over in their chase.
Shanaka having a field day
After his short action-packed innings with the bat, Shanaka couldn’t do any wrong with the ball as the medium-pacer broke the backbone of the Bangladesh batting order, snatching the wickets of in-form Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun and Mahmulluah with his variation of length.
From there on the visitors never looked like chasing a 294 and it was just a matter of time for a certain defeat. Lahiru Kumara, with his brute pace and Akila Dananjaya and Wanindu Hasaranga with their tricky science of spin, bullied the tail-enders and finished Bangladesh innings for 172.
Sri Lanka won the 3rd ODI by 122 runs to complete a Bangladesh whitewash to mark a perfect send off to one of their silent heroes; Nuwan Kulasekara. Sri Lanka’s next assignment will be against the World Cup runners-up New Zealand for 2 Test Matches and 3 T20Is at home.
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avishka Fernando | b Shaiful Islam | 6 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 42.86 |
| Dimuth Karunaratne | c Mushfiqur Rahim b Taijul Islam | 46 | 60 | 6 | 0 | 76.67 |
| Kusal Perera | c Mushfiqur Rahim b Rubel Hossain | 42 | 51 | 5 | 0 | 82.35 |
| Kusal Mendis | c Sabbir Rahaman b Soumya Sarkar | 54 | 58 | 5 | 1 | 93.10 |
| Angelo Mathews | c Mushfiqur Rahim b Soumya Sarkar | 87 | 90 | 7 | 1 | 96.67 |
| Dasun Shanaka | c Sabbir Rahaman b Shaiful Islam | 30 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 214.29 |
| Shehan Jayasuriya | c Tamim Iqbal b Shaiful Islam | 13 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 185.71 |
| Nuwan Thushara | not out | 12 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 240.00 |
| Akila Dananjaya | c Sabbir Rahaman b Soumya Sarkar | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kasun Rajitha | not out | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | 4 (b 0 , lb 0 , nb 0, w 4, pen 0) |
| Total | 294/8 (50 Overs, RR: 5.88) |
| Fall of Wickets | 1-13 (4.3) Avishka Fernando, 2-96 (20.2) Dimuth Karunaratne, 3-98 (21.2) Kusal Perera, 4-199 (41.3) Kusal Mendis, 5-251 (46.1) Dasun Shanaka, 6-280 (48.4) Shehan Jayasuriya, 7-284 (49.1) Angelo Mathews, 8-284 (49.2) Akila Dananjaya, |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaiful Islam | 10 | 2 | 68 | 3 | 6.80 | |
| Rubel Hossain | 9 | 1 | 55 | 1 | 6.11 | |
| Taijul Islam | 10 | 1 | 34 | 1 | 3.40 | |
| Mehidy Hasan Miraz | 9 | 0 | 59 | 0 | 6.56 | |
| Soumya Sarkar | 9 | 0 | 56 | 3 | 6.22 | |
| Mahmudullah | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 7.33 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anamul Haque | c Avishka Fernando b Kasun Rajitha | 14 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 58.33 |
| Tamim Iqbal | c Kusal Perera b Kasun Rajitha | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Soumya Sarkar | b Akila Dananjaya | 69 | 86 | 5 | 1 | 80.23 |
| Mushfiqur Rahim | c Kusal Mendis b Dasun Shanaka | 10 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Mohammad Mithun | c Lahiru Kumara b Dasun Shanaka | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 36.36 |
| Mahmudullah | c Kusal Perera b Dasun Shanaka | 9 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Sabbir Rahaman | c Dhananjaya de Silva b Lahiru Kumara | 7 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 41.18 |
| Mehidy Hasan Miraz | c Dhananjaya de Silva b Lahiru Kumara | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 133.33 |
| Taijul Islam | not out | 39 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 139.29 |
| Shaiful Islam | st Kusal Perera b Nuwan Thushara | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Rubel Hossain | run out (Kusal Perera) | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Extras | 7 (b 0 , lb 2 , nb 0, w 5, pen 0) |
| Total | 172/10 (36 Overs, RR: 4.78) |
| Fall of Wickets | 1-4 (1.3) Tamim Iqbal, 2-29 (7.6) Anamul Haque, 3-46 (11.6) Mushfiqur Rahim, 4-60 (15.4) Mohammad Mithun, 5-83 (19.4) Mahmudullah, 6-105 (24.4) Sabbir Rahaman, 7-117 (26.4) Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8-143 (31.5) Soumya Sarkar, 9-149 (33.1) Shaiful Islam, 10-172 (35.6) Rubel Hossain, |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shehan Jayasuriya | 6 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 6.67 | |
| Kasun Rajitha | 5 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 3.40 | |
| Akila Dananjaya | 10 | 0 | 44 | 1 | 4.40 | |
| Dasun Shanaka | 6 | 0 | 27 | 3 | 4.50 | |
| Nuwan Thushara | 4 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 4.00 | |
| Lahiru Kumara | 5 | 0 | 26 | 2 | 5.20 | |
