Sri Lanka's Fielding Masterclass Fuels ODI Victory Over Bangladesh, Credits Hasaranga

Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga lauded his team's exceptional fielding performance in the first ODI against Bangladesh, which contributed significantly to their 77-run victory.

Sri Lanka's sharp fielding was key to their victory. © BCB

At one stage, Bangladesh appeared to be in a comfortable position at 100/1. However, a brilliant direct hit from Milan Rathnayake from deep square leg resulted in the run-out of Najmul Hossain (23), triggering a collapse. Tanzid Hasan, who had reached his half-century after Litton Das's early dismissal, was then dismissed thanks to a stunning catch by Janith Liyanage at mid-off, further destabilizing the innings.

Hasaranga emphasized the impact of these key moments: "Milan Rathnayake was outstanding, so was Janith Liyanage. We have shown how we can change games with our fielding, and this game is a further proof of that. They were cruising at one stage. That run out from Milan changed the game. Then of course Janith Liyanage pulled off a stunner, and that turned the game in our favour."

He further stated that the team was confident about defending their score after posting a total of nearly 250 runs. "It is the usual RPS wicket. When we played Australia and India, we knew if we get something in between 240 to 250 batting first, we could defend that with the bowling we have. It is the usual RPS pitch," Hasaranga explained.

Regarding Bangladesh's bowling strategy, Hasaranga commented, "I think they felt that they should go with a seam-heavy attack. But you need to adjust to conditions quickly. Bangladeshi batters took on our quicks probably knowing that when the spinners come on it will be tough to score runs. Asitha bowled well as he usually does. I think it was good to see the way the bowlers adjusted." He also revealed the tactical reason behind his late introduction into the attack, in the 18th over.

"Charith, Kusal, and I had a chat and we decided to hold myself back. The plan was that since they have too many left-handers in the top order, for me to come as late as possible and attack the right-handers," he said.

Hasaranga also commended the team's batting performance and the leadership of Charith Asalanka, noting their progress in ODI cricket. "He (Charith) goes around his business as a mature player. He handles the middle situations well and gets the other batters to build partnerships," said Hasaranga.

"He has a knack to get the best out of his batting partners. He has been key for our success and he has been amongst runs for us in the last 18 months or so. Every batter has started contributing for the team. That's something that we didn't have a few years ago. Why we are wining consistently nowadays is that the batters are doing their job and things are made easy for the bowlers."

Despite battling injuries, Hasaranga expressed his satisfaction in contributing to the team's success, particularly as he celebrated his 100th ODI wicket on his international debut's eighth anniversary. "I missed a lot of cricket due to my injuries and the surgery that I had to undergo. The toughest part was missing a World Cup due to injury and very happy to have contributed for the success of Sri Lanka as I am proud about it," said Hasaranga.

"I wasn't aware of the 1000-run milestone but I knew I just needed one wicket for 100 wickets. It's a day I complete eight years as an international cricketer and very pleased with this and I hope to continue in the same way."