Sri Lanka take one-day series on the back of a Kusal Mendis blinder. Bangladesh never in the hunt of run chase. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE. (eLanka Sports Editor).
Sri Lanka appears to have found their mojo at long last in the one day game, and their fans must surely be breathing a sigh of relief after years of disappointment since the glory days of over a decade ago.
But the question that remains to be answered is, can they translate the past seven series triumphs at home to replicating it away to prove they are the real deal. The wins at home included the importance scalps of India and Australia.
For the moment we will hold that thought and celebrate a well synchronised win in the third and deciding game at Pallekelle which has them holding aloft the Test and one-day spoils. Now, with confidence sky high, a clean sweep beckons in the three game T20 series.
After a tense one-day battle, Charith Asalanka’s men showed plenty of maturity and composure after Bangladesh surprised them at Kettharama Stadium in Colombo in game two.
But they refused to panic under the pressure of possible embarrassment and fashioned out a well constructed win on the back of a Kusal ‘Mendis Special’ followed by tight bowling and fielding which brought about the memorable 99-run win.
The return of forgotten paceman Dushmantha Chameera did add a bonus to the bowling which upto now has been good but now has an extra spark. Chameera on his return after a long spell due time injury grabbed 3 for 35.
Together with consistent Asitha Fernando, Wannindu Hasarsnga and Dinuth Wellalage, with Maheesh Theekshana, Sri Lanka has a world class attack that can unsettle the best batting line-ups in the world.
Getting back to the decider, Sri Lanka batted first and made a cautious start to their build up to what turned out to be sn unassailable total.
It was built on Kusal Mendis’s continued great form with the bat with valuable contributions from Pathum Nissanka and skipper Charith Asalanka. Hasarsnga and the lower order added to a total that was challenging.
Mendis led the run spree with a hurricane 124 off 114 balls with 18 fours and together with Skipper Charith Asalanka 58, Pathum Nissanka 35 and Hasarsnga, 18 provided the bulk of the scoring. Mendis and Asalanka set the platform with a 124 run stand for the fifth wicket.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers then went to work on the Bangladesh batting and the varied pace- spin attack never really let them settle before they bowled them out 99 runs short of the target. Bangladesh in reply, were bowled out for 186 in 39.4 overs.
Dushmantha Chameera 3 for 35, Asitha Fernando 3 for 33, Hasaranga 2 for 33 and Hasarsnga 2 for 35 had the Bangladeshi batters all at sea.
Bangladesh will look back on their poor performance as a batting debacle by an experienced line-up that found no reasonable counter to Sri Lanka’s bowlers. Only Towhid Hriday 51 off 75 balls stood between respectability and total embarrassment.
Losing skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto for a duck and several others, including skipper Mehidy Hassan Miraz and Tanzid Hassan who have been regular contributors cheaply, did little to the fight back, and was in many ways due to an excellent Sri Lanka game plan that proved to be a clever foil.
From years of desolation as they stumbled through poor performance and uncertainty, Sri Lanka can reflect and spur themselves to better things in their commitments ahead.
Keeping the foot firmly on the accelerator is key at this stage, as the excuse of rebuilding, is now being regarded by their fans as invalid and hollow.
