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Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka in the third and final match of the ODI series at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Friday.
The Bangla Tigers defeated the Lankan Lions in a frustrating rain-affected contest by 103 runs on DLS method. Mushfiqur Rahim was once again the star for Bangladesh as he brought up a magnificent century.
Batting first, Bangladesh had a shaky start losing 4 wickets for 74 inside 16 overs but Mushfiqur Rahim (125) and Mahmudullah (41) brought their innings back on track. Rahim took charge after Mahmudullah’s fall and took the hosts to a fighting total of 246.
In the second innings, Bangladesh bowlers put breaks on Sri Lankan batting at regular intervals. Left arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman (3/16) and Mehidy Hasan (3/28) helped Bangladesh restrict the visitors to 141-9 in 40 overs.
Bangladesh gained 10 crucial points from this win and are currently leading the ICC World Cup Super League standings ahead of England, Pakistan and Australia. On the other hand, Sri Lanka are at the bottom with -2 points and are in danger of missing out on direct WC qualification.
The third match of the series will be extremely crucial for Sri Lanka regarding the Super League standingsб while Bangladesh will look to solidify themselves at the top of the table.
Key Players
Mushfiqur Rahim has been the backbone of Bangladesh batting unit over the years. The 33-year old has been in sublime touch and has already played two terrific knocks in first two ODIs, scoring 84 and 125. The wicket-keeper batter has been one of the best middle order batters in the world and has continued to get better with age. Since 2014, Rahim has scored 3241 runs at number 4 at an outstanding average of 52.27. He has also scored seven hundreds in the same period.
The left pacer Mustafizur Rahman, popularly known as ‘the Fizz’, has befuddled the batsmen with his variations and accuracy. After suffering from multiple injuries and seeing his career get derailed, Mustafizur has once again found some stability. Coming into the series on the back of a decent IPL outing, the Fizz has led the Bangladesh attack brilliantly. He has played a crucial role in two wins, picking up 3/34 & 3/16. Mustafizur has represented Bangladesh in 66 ODIs, taking 124 wickets at an average of 22.55.
Mehidy Hasan has become one of the important players in the Bangladesh unit. The 23-year old off-spinning all-rounder has produced match-winning performances for the team time and again. In the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, he has picked 4/30 & 3/28 in first two games. Mehidy Hasan has made the life of Sri Lankan batters extremely hard, picking 7 wickets and conceding runs at only 2.90. The off-spinner has picked 54 scalps for Bangladesh in 49 ODI matches at an impressive economy rate of 4.42.
Wanindu Hasaranga has risen through the ranks at a rapid pace and has become a popular name among fans. The immensely talented all-rounder has consistently put in impact performances for Sri Lanka in white-ball cricket. Hasaranga has already shown what he’s capable of with the bat in the first match of the series, where he scored a fighting knock of 74(60). Amidst Sri Lanka’s countless struggles, Hasaranga has emerged as a ray of hope.
Dhananjaya de Silva, the batting all-rounder, is one of the brightest stars of Sri Lankan cricket currently. One of the most watchable batters in the world, de Silva has become a mainstay in the Sri Lankan batting unit in a quick time. The all-rounder hasn’t fired with the bat yet in the series but has made a contribution with the ball in the first game, picking up 3 for 48 in his ten overs. In 47 ODI games, de Silva has scored over 900 runs and has picked 25 wickets for Sri Lanka. The visitors will be hoping that he steps up in the last game.
Prediction
Bangladesh have shown why the opposing teams should not take them lightly, especially in their own den. The Bangladesh team is extremely good when the pitches offer the grip for the bowlers. Their batters are equally adept at playing on such tracks. On the other hand, Sri Lanka is in an extended stretch of mediocrity in the last few years.
The visitors will need to put on collective team performance to avoid a clean sweep at the hands of the Bangla Tigers and to avoid worsening their standings in the Super League.
With the confidence, they have gained and the added motivation of sweeping the Lankans, Bangladesh are firm favourites heading into the last game of the three-match ODI series.
