‘No replacements for the time being'

Bangladesh batter Mushfiqur Rahim added further fuel to the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka rivalry as he re-enacted Angelo Matthews' timed out dismissal when the Tigers celebrated a 2-1 ODI series win over the Lankans in Chattogram on Monday.  

The Tigers clinched the third and final ODI of the three-match series by four wickets which gave the hosts only their second series win in ODIs over the Lankans.

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Right before joining in the celebrations, Mushfiqur carried his helmet over to the presentation party after Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was handed over the trophy following the series win. He faced his teammates and sarcastically complained about the strap of his helmet after he let it loose. This was a reference to Angelo Matthews' timed out dismissal in last year's World Cup where Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka. Matthews became the first player in international cricket to be given out in that fashion after he failed to face his first ball within three minutes of the dismissal that brought him to the crease.

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam brought the timed out conundrum back to the fore when he celebrated by pointing to his wrist after he dismissed Sri Lanka opener Avishka Fernando in the first T20I of the recently-concluded three-match series on March 4. The Lankans, however, had the last laugh as they clinched the series 2-1 and celebrated with the trophy, with all the players pointing at their wrists.

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A rivalry without a cause

Shanto had said after the third T20I that he didn't quite appreciate the manner of the celebration and said that the Lankans ''are yet to move on'' from the incident. 

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

"There is nothing to handle aggressively when it comes to this. I think they are yet to move on from the timed out dismissal. They should move on and stay in the present since we didn't do anything outside the rules of cricket. I think they are making a fuss of it but we are not worried about it," Shanto told the media during the post-match press conference.

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Shanto not amused by Lankans’ celebration 

Bangladesh snapped out of their losing streak when they clinched their first bilateral ODI series in 10 months with a series-clinching four-wicket win in their third and final ODI against Sri Lanka in Chattogram yesterday. A century, a collision while fielding, a concussion substitute, a whirlwind innings, and a petty act of dragging the past -- the final match of the three-match series had produced a number of memorable moments.

Tigers' commendable start

The toss went Sri Lanka's way but the visitors suffered early after deciding to bat first. Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed got the ball talking, pegging back the Lankans by removing both their openers inside 3.5 overs. Mustafizur Rahman, returning to the side after sitting out the first two matches, joined the party. Spinners Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Rishad Hossain also had their say as Sri Lanka were reduced to 154-7.

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Liyanage's resolve

It was Janith Liyanage's resolve that eventually helped Sri Lanka reach a competitive total of 235 all out in 50 overs. Liyanage walked in at number six, with Sri Lanka in a spot of bother at 74 for four. Lending his side some stability, he stitched a 43-run fifth-wicket stand with Charith Asalanka before the latter departed in the 25th over. Liyanage soon lost two more partners. Burdened with the weight of carrying the Lankan innings, Liyanage forged an innings-defining 60-run eighth-wicket stand with Maheesh Theekshana and stayed unbeaten till the end to score his maiden ODI hundred (101 off 102 balls).

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Chaos ensues

The end of Sri Lanka's innings was utterly chaotic for Bangladesh as the Tigers saw three players injured, two of them stretchered off the field, in the final three overs. Having bowled the first delivery of the 48th over, Mustafizur cramped up badly and had to be stretchered off the field. Soumya Sarkar finished the over but he too hurt himself while fielding in the very next over. While fielding on the boundary, he crashed onto the advertising hoarding, hurting his neck and knee, and was later replaced under concussion substitution rules by Tanzid Hasan Tamim. The other mishap in the field included Anamul Haque Bijoy and Jaker Ali Anik, who was on the field as a substitute fielder. Anamul and Jaker collided trying to take the catch of Pramod Madushan in the penultimate delivery of the innings. Even though Anamul managed to grab the catch, Jaker ended up on a stretcher.

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Concussed blessing?

Tanzid Hasan Tamim would not even have played the game had it not been for Soumya Sarkar's unfortunate collision with the advertising billboard. However, Tamim ended up playing a crucial role in the Tigers' triumph as he capitalised on the opportunity to score a career-best 81-ball 84, laced with nine fours and four maximums. He might rue being dismissed just 16 runs shy of what would have been his maiden ton in Bangladesh colours, but the 23-year-old can rejoice in the fact that he now holds the record for scoring the most runs as a concussed substitute in ODIs. Tamim surpassed Australia's Marnus Labuschange, who had scored 80 runs after coming in as a concussion substitute for Cameron Green in a three-wicket win over South Africa in September last year.

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Rishad storm

Sri Lanka, especially their premier leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, were hit by a storm that they might have not anticipated. The outcome of a four-wicket win with 58 deliveries to spare might be misleading as things got a bit nervy for Bangladesh at one stage of the game. When Rishad walked in, Bangladesh still needed 58 more runs to win after 36.1 overs with no recognised batter left. Rishad was included in the squad for the game considering his abilities with the bat but an 18-ball 48 not out is something no one might have foreseen from the leg-spinner. He started his innings by slog-sweeping Hasaranga over square leg for a maximum and went on to take the Lankans' lead spinner to the cleaners, smashing him for four more sixes and three boundaries. Rishad's only other boundary was hit off a Theekshana delivery.

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

'Timed out' re-enactment

Experienced campaigner Mushfiqur Rahim added further fuel to the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka rivalry as he re-enacted Angelo Matthews' 'timed out' dismissal from the 2023 World Cup during their series-winning celebration with the trophy. As Bangladesh players were standing with the trophy, Mushfiqur carried his helmet and sarcastically complained about the strap getting lose – just like Mathews complained during a World Cup game against the Tigers last year before being the first cricketer ever in international cricket to be ruled as 'timed out'. Even though skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto said after the third T20I that the Lankans had not "moved on" from that incident, it seems like the Bangladesh players themselves are yet to do so.

Towhid Hridoy earned a maiden call-up to the Bangladesh Test side as the young batter replaces experienced campaigner Mushfiqur Rahim in the squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka which will begin at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Friday. 

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) relayed the news through a press release on Wednesday. 

Mushfiqur was ruled out of the Test series against Sri Lanka due to a thumb injury he had sustained in the final ODI between the teams at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium last Monday. The wicketkeeper was struck on his right thumb by a Taskin Ahmed delivery in the second over of the game and had to receive treatment from the team physio. Mushfiqur, who underwent a scan after the game, played the entire match and scored an unbeaten 37 to help the Tigers to a four-wicket win and clinch the three-match series 2-1. 

Hridoy, meanwhile, has represented Bangladesh in 30 ODIs and 14 T20Is, making himself almost a constant feature in the Tigers' middle-order in white-ball cricket. The 23-year-old will hope to emulate his performances in red-ball cricket as well. 

Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga came out of Test retirement and was named in the squad for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh.

Wanindu Hasaranga, who announced his retirement from Test cricket last year, has returned to the fold for the ICC World Test Championship series against Bangladesh starting March 22.

The leg-spinning all-rounder is part of a strong spin attack that also includes Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis and all-rounders Nishan Peiris and Kamindu Mendis.

Dhananjaya de Silva, who was named Test skipper in February, continues at the helm, with Kusal Mendis as his deputy. 

The Test series begins on March 22 in Sylhet with the following Test in Chattogram from March 30.

Sri Lanka Test squad: Dhananjaya De Silva, Captain, Kusal Mendis, Vice Captain, Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Lahiru Udara, Wanindu Hasaranga, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Nishan Peiris, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Chamika Gunasekara.