Tanzid- Rishad lead Bangladesh to win ODI series against Sri Lanka

|| CF DESK ||

In a thrilling encounter at Chattogram, Bangladesh secured a resounding victory over Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI, sealing the series 2-1 in their favor.

Despite facing a formidable target of 236 runs, the hosts chased it down convincingly with four wickets to spare and a comfortable 58 balls remaining, thanks to Tanzid Hasan, who was the concussion sub of Soumya Sarkar and an extraordinary display of batting prowess from their lower-order batter Rishad Hossain.

Rishad's heroic at the number eight position was nothing short of spectacular, as he blazed through his innings, scoring an unbeaten 48 runs off a mere 18 balls.

Bangladesh's bowlers delivered a commendable performance, restricting the Lankan batting lineup to 235 runs despite Janith Liyanage's maiden ODI century.

The chase began promisingly for Bangladesh, with Anamul Haque and Tanzid forming a solid opening partnership of 50 runs.

While Tanzid exhibited dominance with the bat, Anamul's departure for a modest 12 runs did little to deter their momentum. However, the middle order faced some turbulence, with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto departing cheaply after contributing just one run.

Despite promising starts from Tawhid Hridoy and Mahmudullah Riyad, they couldn't capitalize on their innings, leaving Tanzid Hasan to anchor the chase. Tanzid's departure for a well-constructed 84 runs raised concerns for Bangladesh, as they found themselves at 130-5, still requiring 106 runs for victory.

However, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz showcased resilience, steadying the innings with a crucial 48-run partnership. Miraz's dismissal, though, provided Sri Lanka with a glimmer of hope, only for Rishad Hossain to dash it completely.

But Rishad's explosive innings, which included the third-quickest knock by a tailender in ODI history, turned the tide decisively in Bangladesh's favor. His blistering partnership with Mushfiqur Rahim rattled the Sri Lankan bowlers, propelling Bangladesh towards a memorable series-clinching victory.

Earlier, Janith Liyanage struck an unbeaten half-century to guide Sri Lanka to 235 all out in 50 overs.

Liyanage staged a lone battle en route to his maiden century after Bangladesh made regular strikes, with Taskin Ahmed leading the way for the home side with 3-42.

Skipper Kusal Mendis (29) and Charith Asalanka (37) made a start, but their wickets tumbled before they could hit out high.

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 other opener 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 Rishad Hossain made Mendis his first ODI wicket, also off his first ball of the game.

Mustafizur ended Asalanka's counter-attacking innings, before Mehidy Hasan 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 the cover for a four in the final over to reach his century off 101 balls.

Mustafizur and Mehidy claimed 2-39 and 2-38, respectively.