Tigers unlock new achievement to end Lanka tour on a high

All of Bangladesh's plans materialised in a spirit-lifting performance to seize the third and final T20I by eight wickets at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday, a win which saw them claim a historic maiden T20I series win against the Lankans.

Led from the front by skipper Litton Das, named player-of-the series, Bangladesh ticked all the right boxes as a team to finish the Sri Lanka tour on a high after the disappointments in the Test and ODI series losses.

"I have no words to express at the moment how our team played, the boys showed character. We didn't play well in the first T20I but then we played well in back-to-back T20Is. That's the character we need," Litton said at the post-match presentation following the win.

Having won the second T20I in Dambulla to level the series, Bangladesh needed calm heads and planning to put out an eleven suited for the cause and the decision to drop Mohammad Saifuddin and Mehidy Hasan Miraz were taken with due consideration.

Litton judged the conditions better than his counterpart Charith Asalanka and brought Mahedi Hasan into the lineup and the right-arm off-spinner set the game up beautifully, using his pace variations and angles to topple the Lankan top-order, ending with figures of 4-11 to restrict Sri Lanka to 132-7.

Bangladesh both attacked and defended with Mahedi, with Litton using Shoriful Islam and Mustafizur Rahman to support the spinner in the Powerplay to reduce Sri Lanka to 40 for 3.

Right after the Powerplay, Mahedi produced a gem of a delivery to dismiss Asalanka to put the Lankan batters under more pressure and finished up his quota with a maiden wicket over in the 11th, removing the well-set Pathum Nissanka with a caught and bowled.

"It wasn't tough to pick Mahedi. I believed that this surface will suit Mahedi and that's why he played," Litton explained.

Tigers lost opener Parvez Hossain Emon first ball but did not have to worry as Tanzid Tamim took the game on. The opener hit six sixes and a four in an effortless 47-ball 73 and importantly, he stayed till the end, finishing off the job.

Litton and Tanzid put on 74 for the second wicket, immaculately handling the Lankan attack and after Litton departed for an effective 26-ball 32, Tawhid Hridoy finished off alongside Tanzid.

Litton said the win would boost his relatively new team setup.

"It's a big achievement for Bangladesh, earlier we didn't win here but this win will boost Bangladesh. We have big dreams so it would help us," he reiterated after becoming the first Bangladesh captain to seize two overseas T20I series wins.