Tigers upbeat to level series Sunday

Bangladesh are optimistic about bouncing back in the second game of the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka on Sunday, reports UNB.

A win will level the series for the Tigers, but a loss will hand it to the hosts.

Khaled Mahmud, the interim coach, told the media on Saturday in Colombo that Bangladeshi players put on a disappointing performance.

In the first match, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat. They amassed 314 for eight in 50 overs, riding on an imperious century by Kusal Perera.

Shafiul Islam, who returned to the national side after three years, bagged three wickets while Mustafizur Rahman took two.

Tamim was the first man to get dismissed while chasing a big total. He fell prey to Lasith Malinga’s yorker. Malinga ended his ODI career with this match.

Bangladesh lost four wickets before posting 50 runs on the board. Mushfiqur Rahim and Sabbir Rahman made a 100-run partnership in the fifth wicket stand but that was not enough for the Tigers to avoid a loss in the series opener. Both Mushfiqur and Sabbir returned with a fifty apiece.

Along with batting and bowling, Bangladesh were poor in the outfield too. They missed a couple of catches and gave away many runs.

Khaled Mahmud believes that a proactive attitude can change the fielding. He said it is not possible to call for a technical change in fielding for a better result.

“We can’t change the technical aspect in a single night. Good fielding depends on the attitude of the cricketers on the field. I believe if we can show a good attitude, it’ll change our fielding,” Mahmud told the reporters.

He rejected the idea of making changes in the playing XI. “The XI we played in the first game was the best possible one. We have to keep faith in them. And to be honest, we didn’t think of make any change in the playing XI yet. We will think more before the match.”

Despite losing the first game by a big margin, Khaled Mahmud believes his team has the ability to bounce back strongly.

“We’re a better team than what we’ve shown in the previous game. I believe the boys are eager to bounce back to keep the hope of winning the series alive. I hope we can make it 1-1 in the next game,” Mahmud added.

The second game of the series will take place at 3pm (BdST) and will be broadcast live by Maasranga, Gtv and BTV. The third and final game of the series will be played on July 31 at the same venue - R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.