BANGLADESH VS. SRI LANKA: SL’S TOUR OF BAN 2021, 3rd ODI | MATCH PREDICTION AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
Hosts Bangladesh take on Sri Lanka in the final ODI of the 3-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Friday afternoon. It is part of the ICC ODI Super League.
Bangladesh registered their first ever ODI series win against Sri Lanka after winning the first two matches of this series quite comfortably. They will look to test their bench strength by giving chances to some new players and make it a 3-0 whitewash.
The batting was led by Mushfiqur Rahim, who made a brilliant century despite batting in conditions that were not easy to score in. Similar to the first match, he shared a massive partnership with Mahmudullah, which laid the platform for the rest of their innings. The likes of Tamim and Shakib need to stand up and make contributions in the final match. Mehidy Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman once again stole the show with the ball, claiming 6 of the 9 wickets to fall. Taskin Ahmed came in as a concussion substitute for Mohammed Saifuddin in the last game and might get a full game here.
Sri Lanka will be dejected with the consecutive losses, but need to gather themselves quickly and give a spirited performance here to return home with a victory. It will do a world of good for the confidence of a young team going ahead in the future.
Another top-order collapse meant that Sri Lanka lost half their side at the mid-innings mark and never really recovered from that. No player in the top six has scored a half century in the two matches played so far. Gunathilaka top scored with 24 runs in the innings. The bowlers did a good job to restrict Bangladesh to a reasonable score. Chameera and Sandakan were superb with the ball and claimed 3 wickets each in the match. Udana also picked up a couple of wickets in the game. Dickwella and Ramesh Mendis might get a chance in the playing XI in this match.
With wins in the first two games, Bangladesh now sit at the top of the ICC Super League table. They have been better in all the departments in the first two ODIs and will be determined to whitewash their opponents here. Sri Lanka need a big team performance to stand a chance of avoiding a whitewash at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium on Friday.
Match Details
- Match: Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI
- Venue: Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
- Date & Time: May 28, 2021, at 12:30 PM IST
Probable Playing XI
Bangladesh
Tamim Iqbal (C), Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (WK), Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam
Sri Lanka
Kusal Perera (C/WK), Danushka Gunathilaka, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Ashen Bandara, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ramesh Mendis, Lakshan Sandakan, Isuru Udana, Dushmantha Chameera
Weather and Pitch Report
Mirpur is expected to have overcast conditions on the day of the match. Some rain interruptions are also likely during the game. The temperature will be around 34 degrees.
The pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium is a little slow, making run scoring difficult for the batsmen. However, the outfield remains lightning fast. The overcast conditions can be helpful for the pace bowlers on this surface, while the spinners will be the most threatening. The average first-innings score in the last five ODIs played here has been 206 runs.
Given the slow nature of the track, batting second here will be difficult. The first two matches have been won by the team batting first. So expect the captain winning the toss to opt to bat first on this track. A target of 240-250 can be a competitive one.
Top Fantasy Picks
- Tamim Iqbal started the second ODI with a flurry of boundaries, but could not maintain it and got dismissed in the very next over. With the series won and less pressure on his shoulders, expect him to play a big score and make his mark in the series here.
- Mushfiqur Rahim won back-to-back Player of the Match awards for his innings of 84 and 125 runs in the first two matches. He has held the batting unit for Bangladesh in this series, scoring nearly 40% of his team`s runs so far. Expect him to continue his good form here.
- Mehidy Hasan is the new no. 2 bowler in the ODI rankings. He opened the bowling and had bowling figures of 4/30 and 3/28 in the first two matches of the series. He made runs scoring for the batsmen in the powerplay, which forced them to go for the high-risk shots and get out.
- Kusal Perera got starts in both the previous matches, but could not make it count for his team. He has made 44 runs in the two matches and looked comfortable before playing rash shots to get dismissed. He will look to make a big score here and pull out an under-pressure batting unit.
- Pathum Nissanka had a decent start to his international career, making a century and a fifty on the tour of the West Indies. He was the second-highest scorer of the innings in the last match, making 20 off 36 balls. He will look to stay longer at the crease and make this opportunity count.
- Wanindu Hasaranga would be happy with his bowling performance in the last match, giving away just 33 runs in his 10 overs and picking up a wicket. He failed to deliver with the bat, scoring just 6 runs with the bat. He is the highest scorer of the series for the visitors.
Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeeper: M Rahim, K Perera
- Batsmen: T Iqbal, Mahmudullah, P Nissanka
- All-rounders: Shakib Al Hasan, W Hasaranga, I Udana
- Bowlers: M Rahman, M H-Miraz, L Sandakan
- Captain: M Rahim/Shakib Al Hasan
- Vice Captain: K Perera/L Sandakan
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can make your match prediction and play fantasy cricket matches. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.
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