RISHAD HOSSAIN played an attacking innings of 48 after substitute Tanzid Hasan Tamim hit 84 off 81 balls on Monday (18), steering Bangladesh to a fourwicket win and a 2-1 ODI series victory over Sri Lanka.
Set a modest target after Janith Liyanage’s unbeaten 101 guided Sri Lanka to 235 all out in 50 overs, Bangladesh raced to 237-6 in 40.2 overs.
Hossain remained unbeaten on 48 off just 18 balls.
The hosts were in danger when Wanindu Hasaranga forced Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the last recognised batsman, to give a catch to Pramod Madushan for 25, with Bangladesh still 58 runs away from victory.
But Hossain dispatched the first ball he faced over midwicket for six and did not look back. He hit four sixes and five fours before Mushfiqur Rahim, 37 not out, finished the game with a boundary off Maheesh Theekshana.
Tamim led the initial charge, replacing Soumya Sarkar in the second innings as a concussion sub, despite Lahiru Kumara wreaking havoc with 4-48.
“Tanzid batted really well at the start. The way Mushi (Mushfiqur) batted, I think it helped Rishad’s innings,” Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said.
“On a wicket like this, the bowlers showed a lot of character.”
Liyanage earlier staged a lone battle en route to his maiden century after Bangladesh made regular strikes, with Taskin Ahmed leading the way with 3-42.
Skipper Kusal Mendis (29) and Charith Asalanka (37) made a good start but got out before they could build bigger innings.
“I think we were 40-50 runs short but we bowled well in few overs,” Mendis said.
“Janith (Liyanage) batted really well. A couple of wickets fell in the middle overs, and he then batted very well.”
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first, only to lose both openers inside four overs.
Taskin struck early, trapping in-form opener Pathum Nissanka leg-before for one, then dismissing Avishka Fernando for four in his next over.
Mustafizur Rahman, playing his first match in the series, removed Sadeera Samarawickrama off his first ball for 14 to leave Sri Lanka reeling at 41-3.
Leg-spinner Hossain made Mendis his first ODI wicket, also off his first ball of the game. Rahman ended Asalanka’s counterattacking innings before Miraz claimed two back-to-back wickets to expose the tail.
But Liyanage held one end firm to ensure Sri Lanka batted out 50 overs, hitting Taskin over for a four in the final over to reach his century off 101 balls.
Rahman and Miraz claimed 2-39 and 2-38, respectively.
Bangladesh won the opener by six wickets, with Sri Lanka taking the second by three wickets last Friday (15).
The two teams will now play a two-match Test series, beginning on Friday (22) in Sylhet.
MCC president Mark Nicholas. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)