Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz acknowledged that his side’s failure to build meaningful partnerships and maintain momentum led to their crushing 99-run defeat in the third ODI against Sri Lanka, which handed the hosts a 2-1 series victory.
Speaking after the loss at the Pallekele International Stadium, Miraz praised the Sri Lankan batting effort, particularly Kusal Mendis, whose elegant 124 formed the backbone of Sri Lanka’s total of 285 for 7.
“It was a good wicket. Two of their batters did well. We couldn’t put them under pressure, especially the way Kusal Mendis batted today,” Miraz said.
Bangladesh’s chase unravelled with a flurry of regular wickets, despite another fighting half-century from Towhid Hridoy. Miraz admitted the team’s inability to sustain partnerships proved decisive.
“We lost back-to-back wickets, which put us in trouble,” he said. “When I was batting with Hridoy today, we nearly grabbed the momentum. Then I got out playing a shot.”
Miraz’s dismissal came while trying to accelerate the scoring rate – a decision he defended, though he admitted it cost the team dearly. “I tried to take a calculated risk, but I couldn’t execute that shot properly. If I had, it would have gone for six.”
Hridoy, who scored a patient 51, was also defended by his captain over his strike rate. “He could have batted at a faster rate, but he couldn’t do it as we kept losing wickets. I won’t blame him for today’s defeat. It is hard for a batter to bat in this type of situation,” Miraz added.
The skipper pointed to the contrast between the sides’ middle-order contributions, highlighting the 124-run stand between Mendis and Charith Asalanka as the turning point. “They had a big partnership after they lost three wickets for 100 runs. Middle-overs partnerships are important. We got thirties or forties, but winning is hard with these partnerships in ODI cricket.”
Bangladesh were bowled out in all three matches of the series – a worrying trend Miraz did not shy away from addressing.
“It is a concern for the team that we couldn’t bat 50 overs. Our middle-order batters have more responsibilities,” he said, urging his team to play with more application and minimise risky shots. “We have to focus on playing low-risk cricket and building partnerships. That’s how we’ll improve.”
Despite the disappointment, the captain remains hopeful that the team will learn from the series defeat.
“We have a lot of room for improvement. We have a lot of cricket in front of us. I will look at the lacking in my team,” Miraz concluded.
Bangladesh now face pressing questions regarding their batting approach and composure under pressure, while Sri Lanka will take confidence from their cohesive performance as they continue to build under Asalanka’s stewardship.
