Lots at stake in series opener
The first of the three-match ODI series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka has special significance for both teams for various reasons. Sri Lanka is all set to bid farewell to legendary fast bowler Lasith Malinga from ODIs, which has already created a lot of buzz among fans as tickets for the first match are already sold out.
Secondly, cricket will return to Sri Lanka for the first time since the tragic suicide bombings in Colombo on April 21 this year and Bangladesh are the first international team to visit the country after the attack.
The day-night game is scheduled to begin from 3.30 pm BST at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo today.
Amidst all the talks about the possible sacking of Sri Lanka head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, Sri Lanka would want to come out hard against Bangladesh as the rivalry between the two sides has reached new height over the last few years.
At the same time, Dimuth Karunaratne and his troops will desperately want to give a wining farewell to Malinga -- Sri Lanka's third highest wicket taker behind Muttiah Muralidaran and Chaminda Vaas and also sits in tenth place in the all-time ODI wicket-takers' list with 335 scalps.
For Bangladesh, it will be a huge challenge for the visitors to register their first ever ODI series win in Sri Lanka without two stalwarts in regular skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who was ruled out due to a hamstring injury at the last moment, and Shakib Al Hasan, who opted to take a leave followed by a brilliant World Cup campaign.
Tamim Iqbal will be making his debut as captain of the Tigers in ODIs, but it will be a tough ask for the dashing cricketer to marshal his troops against the Lankans, who have always been a tough side to beat on their home soil.
Despite the comfortable five-wicket win against the Sri Lankan Board President's XI in the practice game on Tuesday, the Tigers' think tank will be worried about the bowling department, especially in the death overs in the absence of young Mohammad Saifuddin, and of course Mashrafe.
According to sources close to the team, Shafiul Islam is expected to make a comeback to the ODI side after three years after joining the team as a last-minute inclusion mostly because of a lack of confidence in pacer Taskin Ahmed.
Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain are expected to lead the fast bowling attack while Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Mosaddek Hossain and Mahmudullah Riyad -- who has recovered sufficiently from a shoulder injury -- will look after the spin department.
Although he was struck on the elbow while receiving throwdowns at the nets yesterday, Soumya Sarkar is expected to open the innings with Tamim, who will be desperately looking to return to his groove after a rather disappointing World Cup campaign.
Mohammad Mithun, who scored 91 in the practice game, will bat at number three, a position in which Shakib has been phenomenal in the World Cup. The experienced Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad will once again have to play key roles in the middle order with Sabbir Rahman expected to score quick runs in the lower middle order.
Of the seven wins in 45 ODIs against Sri Lanka in ODIs so far, Bangladesh won three in the last two years and the intense Nidahas Trophy campaign last year took the rivalry between the two sides to a higher level.
Tamim Iqbal is 129 runs away from becoming the first Bangladeshi to score 7,000 runs in ODIs and it will be interesting to see whether the Tigers will be able to register their first ever win in the fifty-over format at the R Premadasa Stadium, where they have i=lost all previous eight games.
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