CHITTAGONG: Sri Lanka’s captain, Kusal Mendis, won the toss and set the tone by batting first in the highly anticipated third one-day international against Bangladesh in Chittagong on Monday.
With the ODI series hanging in the balance at 1-1, following Bangladesh’s initial victory by six wickets countered by Sri Lanka’s triumphant response with a three-wicket win on Friday, the stakes were high for both teams.
In a bid to bolster their lineup, Bangladesh made strategic changes, bringing in Anamul Haque and Mustafizur Rahman to replace the underperforming Litton Das and the injured Tanzim Hasan Sakib, respectively. Additionally, leg-spinner Rishad Hossain was included in place of left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, reflecting Bangladesh’s tactical adjustments for the decisive match.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka faced setbacks due to key injuries, with Maheesh Theekshana stepping in for the injured Dilshan Madushanka, who suffered a hamstring injury.
The teams’ compositions for the showdown were as follows:
Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Soumya Sarkar, Anamul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and Mustafizur Rahman.
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk-capt), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Pramod Madushan, and Lahiru Kumara.
The match officials overseeing the encounter were Umpires Richard Kettleborough (ENG) and Sharfuddoula (BAN), with TV Umpire Adrian Holdstock (SA) and Match Referee Andy Pycroft (ZIM) ensuring adherence to fair play and regulations.
