Following their defeat in the T20I series, Bangladesh began the ODI series strongly by comfortably winning the opening game in Chattogram. The bowlers played a pivotal role by limiting Sri Lanka to 255 runs, while captain Najmul Hossain’s unbeaten century ensured Bangladesh’s victory with 32 balls remaining.
Benefiting from the dew, Bangladesh effectively chased down the target, thanks to Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim’s unbeaten 165-run partnership for the fifth wicket. This stand was crucial as Bangladesh had struggled at 23/3 before the recovery.
Shanto’s contribution was crucial in a 59-run partnership with Mahmudullah, who scored 37 off 37 balls, stabilizing the team before teaming up with Rahim. The Sri Lankan bowlers struggled as the dew set in, making it challenging for them.
Before the partnership, Bangladesh relied on their pacers. Initially, the momentum favored Sri Lanka as their openers had a strong start, building a 71-run partnership. However, Tanzim Hasan Sakib changed the game by taking two quick wickets, shifting the momentum in Bangladesh’s favor.
After the dismissal of the well-established pair, Sri Lanka faced a brief stumble before a 69-run partnership between Kusal Mendis and Janith Liyanage saved them. However, both batsmen failed to convert their starts into big scores, which enabled Bangladesh to make a comeback towards the end of the game. Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed took wickets consistently, dismantling the lower order as Sri Lanka lost their last five wickets for just 34 runs.
The target became more manageable as the conditions improved during the chase.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka scored 255 all out (Janith Liyanage 67, Kusal Mendis 59; Tanzim Hasan 3-44) and lost to Bangladesh who scored 257/4 (Najmul Hossain Shanto 122, Mushfiqur Rahim 73) by 6 wickets.
