BAN VS SL - 3rd Match, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in Bangladesh Tri-Series, 2018

That is it from this one-sided game involving Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A decade back you would have not read beyond the first line. But tables have turned and the sharp edges of them cut through the Lankan team today. I have been Kumar Abhisekh Das in the company of Nikhil JD, Pradeep, Hari and our smiling assassin Harish.

Biggest win margin (by runs) in ODIs for Bangladesh
163 runs -----> vs SRI LANKA AT DHAKA, 2018
160 runs -----> vs West Indies at Khulna, 2012
146 runs -----> vs Scotland at Dhaka, 2006
145 runs -----> vs Zimbabwe at Dhaka, 2015
141 runs -----> vs Afghanistan at Dhaka, 2016

Shakib Al Hasan, Man of the Match: I think with the bat everyone contributed. Mushfiqur's contribution was very important. Tamim has been our best batsman in the last 2-3 years and he played really well today. We need to improve everyday. There is healthy competition. We don't want to relax. We hope to continue our good form. In times to come, we will be playing 3 games in 5 days. And we have to do little thinhgs right.

Mashrafe Mortaza: Yes, if you look at recent past, it is one of our best wins. Obviously, you can learn from every game. I think Tamim could have got a hundred. Shakib also could have gone on. The bowling struggled in South Africa but we are back at home. Sabbir has been batting at 3 for a long time. But we feel he can do the job with lesser overs to go. We are trying to find one more batsman who can hit like Sabbir and then we would be fine. Hopefully, Shakib will continue batting like what he did today at number 3 in times to come. Tamim always looks hungry for runs and Mushy has been doing well always for us.

Dinesh Chandimal: Actually, we are very disappointed. In ODIs, we are going through a very bad patch. Credit to Bangladesh, they played some outstanding cricket today. It is tough specially with the injuries around. We need to win one or two games, then I guess we will be alright. Still, we have a chance. If we win next two games, we would still be in the tournament.

Earlier today, fifties from Tamim, Shakib and Rahim ensured Bangladesh ended with a mammoth total of 320. They threatened 340 for a while as well but some excellent death bowling by Perera ensured 320 is what they had to be content with. Then Lanka came out to bat, and the procession of wickets looked endless. They never could conjure up a partnership and Bangladesh kept chipping away with the wickets. The agony came to a tame end in the 33rd over. Hang on for what the skippers have to say.

Lanka would have thought the nightmare of 2017 has ended but 2018 has bought about a fresh series of woes for them. But so far it has been a never ending halloween in which there are only tricks and no treats for them. A defeat to Zimbabwe in the previous game and now the spineless show against the hosts. A loss by 163 runs will take a lot of self-analysis as to what went wrong.

Rubel to Dananjaya, out Caught by Shakib!! It is all over. A win by 163 runs. This is Bangladesh's biggest win ever(by runs)! This was a proper shellacking. Here is how the formalities unfolded: the low full toss was slogged away without any timing, the bat face turned in his hands and the man at mid-off picked up the catch with a lot of ease. The crowd erupted and that completes a wonderful day at home for Bangladesh. Another win at home. Dananjaya c Shakib b Rubel 14(17) [4s-3]

Rubel to Dananjaya, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Rubel to Dananjaya, no run, heavy bottom hand into the slog and the ball takes the inner half of the bat to dribble away into the on-side. They don't take a single

Shakib to Pradeep, no run, stays his crease and blocks the ball out back to the deck

Shakib to Pradeep, no run, turn, oodles of it. The batsman pushed forward to be beaten on the prod

Shakib to Pradeep, no run, stabs the ball out, and finds the man at short third man

Shakib to Pradeep, no run, the arm ball decking in, defends it into the on-side

Shakib to Dananjaya, 1 run, top-edge on the slog sweep and the man at deep mid mops the ball up as it lands well short of him. Single taken

Shakib to Dananjaya, FOUR, charges out, heaves the ball down the ground and the ball lands just short of the ropes for it to be a four at long-off

Lanka have been blown away here. This is appalling for a cricketing nation who were finalists in the 2007 and 2011 WCs.

Rubel to Pradeep, no run, an almost fatal leave from the batsman as the ball very close to the off-pole

Number 10 is gone. Jack is next.

Nuwan Pradeep, right handed bat, comes to the crease