Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz said his team carried the belief they could bounce back after their dismal performance in the series opener, resulting in a spirited 16-run win over Sri Lanka in the second ODI at R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday night.
“Obviously, we couldn’t accept how we lost that day. We had that belief. We knew we could make a comeback here,” Miraz said after the match.
Bangladesh posted 248 runs after a promising start but suffered another batting collapse that left them short of completing their 50 overs. Miraz, however, highlighted positives in Parvez Hossain Emon’s aggressive fifty and Towhid Hridoy’s composed half-century.
“We played good cricket, but we could have done better in certain areas. We couldn’t bat through the 50 overs. We started well; Emon batted well, and Hridoy did well while wickets were falling around him, which was another positive. But we couldn’t capitalize on the partnerships we had. We lost wickets in the middle overs. If we hadn’t lost those wickets, things would have been different.”
Miraz praised lower-order batsman Tanzim Hasan Sakib for his unbeaten 33 off 21 balls, which proved decisive in boosting Bangladesh to a competitive total, especially with his aggressive hitting against Wanindu Hasaranga.
“The way Tanzim batted at the end was amazing. Those were very important runs. The way he attacked Hasaranga was crucial, since 220 and 250 are very different situations. Within the team, everyone had that belief that we could make a comeback.”
Bangladesh’s spinners were central to their defense of the modest total, with Tanvir Islam claiming a five-wicket haul after an expensive start. Shamim Hossain, playing his first ODI in nearly two years, also made an impact by dismissing Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka.
“Shamim bowled really well. He took the crucial wicket of the captain. I told him on this wicket, spinners are not easy to hit. If you bowl in the right area, batters can’t hit you. My mindset was clear: on these wickets, you need wickets to stay in the game. Otherwise, you cannot win. We needed to hit the good areas, and he bowled really well.”
Miraz said every wicket was a turning point in defending the total, particularly during the middle overs when Shamim and Tanvir applied pressure. “We needed wickets; every moment was a turning point, especially in those middle overs where Tanvir and Shamim bowled,” he added.
Following the win, Bangladesh Cricket Board President and former captain Aminul Islam congratulated the team on their hard-fought comeback as they now look to seal the series in the decider.
Bd-pratidin English/TR
