Najmul, Rahim and bowlers help Bangladesh go 1-0 up
Bangladesh started the ODI series well after losing the T20Is series by a comfortable margin in Chattogram, winning the opening game by a comfortable margin.
Their all-round show was first set up by the bowlers who restricted Sri Lanka to just 255 before an unbeaten hundred from skipper Najmul Hossain carried them home with 32 balls to spare.
With dew coming in, the chase was relatively on the easier side but Bangladesh made good use of it with Shanto partnering Mushfiqur Rahim in an unbeaten 165-run stand in the chase for the fifth wicket. The partnership was even more significant because Bangladesh had been reduced to 23/3 at one point before the rebuild occurred.
Shanto played his part in a vital 59-run stand with Mahmudullah, who hit a run-a-ball 37, to steady the ship before joining hands with Rahim with the Sri Lankan bowlers finding the going tough as the dew settled in.
Bangladesh had its pacers to thank before that stand. Having been asked to bowl, the early momentum was against them. Sri Lanka’s openers began well putting on a 71-run stand before Tanzim Hasan Sakib struck twice in quick succession to get rid of both.
With the well-set pair dismissed the visitors stuttered briefly before a 69-run stand between Kusal Mendis and Janith Liyanage rescued them. After reaching their fifties, both batters failed to continue and Bangladesh was able to make a comeback at the business end of play. Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed struck at regular intervals to clean up the lower order as Sri Lanka lost their last five for just 34 runs.
Eventually the target became easier as the chase conditions became more favorable.