Kusal Mendis, the Sri Lankan batter, scored his sixth ODI century, leading his team to a solid 99-run win against Bangladesh at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. This victory secured the three-match ODI series for Sri Lanka with a 2-1 result, according to the International Cricket Council (ICC) official website.
Mendis hit a fantastic 124 off just 115 balls, helping Sri Lanka reach 285/7 in the final match. This score proved too difficult for Bangladesh to chase, as they were bowled out for 186.
Sri Lanka won the series 2-1, with Mendis named Player of the Series for his 225 runs across the three games.
It was a comeback for the right-hander, who was out for 56 in the second match in Colombo when he was well-placed to help Sri Lanka chase the score. Bangladesh then won by 16 runs to tie the series.
Mendis was happy to contribute to the win, especially after the disappointing loss in the second match. He told the ICC after the game, I’m very happy with today’s innings. I was not happy with what happened in Colombo. I got a good start but couldn’t finish it. Here, I wanted to bat through the innings and I’m very pleased.
Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who scored 28, noted that his team struggled to form important partnerships during their chase, leading to their dismissal in the 40th over.
Mehidy said, We just couldn’t build partnerships like Sri Lanka did. They had a big partnership after losing three wickets for 100 runs. Partnerships in the middle overs are very important. A couple of us scored in the 40s, but it’s hard to win without strong partnerships in ODI cricket.
The teams will now play a three-match T20I series, starting in Pallekele on Thursday.