Kusal Mendis Century Leads Sri Lanka to ODI Series Win; Mehidy Hasan Blames Lack of Partnerships for Bangladesh Defeat

Mendis' Century Powers Sri Lanka; Mehidy Regrets Missed Opportunities

Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis stated on Tuesday that a positive team environment has been crucial to the team's recent consistent performances. Mendis' outstanding century helped Sri Lanka secure the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh with a decisive 99-run victory in Dambulla.

Kusal Mendis had a positive chat with batting coach and head coach before showing great improvement in the third ODI © AFP

Sri Lanka has now secured victory in eight of their last nine ODI series. Mendis attributed this success to the leadership of stand-in captain Charith Asalanka and the support staff, under the guidance of Sanath Jayasuriya, for fostering a composed and encouraging atmosphere. Mendis, who scored a brisk 124, mentioned learning from his previous innings, where he felt responsible for his dismissal after a rapid 56 off 31 deliveries.

"After I got out [in the second ODI] is when I realized that the decision I took was wrong, it was not an easy wicket and I was the set batter and should have continued batting - that is reason for our defeat. The head coach and batting coach spoke to me and said that when I am in the runs, I should go for a big score. My rhythm from the last match and today was different and I mixed caution with aggression," Mendis explained.

He further added, "We(Batting coach Thilina Kandamby) spoke a lot about that. When I was batting in the nets also he always kept reminding me that when you get set to go for a big score not to throw away the wicket after getting to 50-60. He had high expectations from me for this match and I am happy that I was able to fulfill it."

On the other hand, Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan expressed that his team suffered due to a lack of substantial partnerships in the crucial third ODI. The 124-run partnership between Kusal and Charith Asalanka (58) provided a solid base for Sri Lanka's imposing total. Conversely, Bangladesh consistently lost wickets, resulting in being bowled out for 186 in 39.4 overs.

"They had a big partnership after they lost three wickets for 100 runs. Middle overs partnerships are important. We got thirties or forties, but winning is hard with these partnerships in ODI cricket," Mehidy commented. "We lost back-to-back wickets, which put us in trouble."

"It was a good wicket. Two of their batters did well. We couldn't put them under pressure, especially the way Kusal Mendis batted," he further stated.

Mehidy also believed that his dismissal at a critical juncture increased the pressure on his team and shifted the momentum in Sri Lanka's favor. "My dismissal put the team under pressure. I tried to take a calculated risk, but I couldn't execute that shot properly. If I had, it would have gone for six," he said. "When I was batting with [Towhid] Hridoy, we nearly grabbed the momentum. Then I got out playing a shot."

Mehidy defended Hridoy's relatively slow innings (51 off 78), emphasizing that the frequent loss of wickets prevented him from accelerating.

"He could have batted at a faster rate, but he couldn't do it as we kept losing wickets. I won't blame him for the defeat. It is hard for a batter to bat in this type of situation," he said. Mehidy also voiced concern about his team's inability to bat the entire 50 overs.

"It is a concern for the team that we couldn't bat 50 overs. Our middle-order batters have more responsibilities. We have a lot of room for improvement. We have a lot of cricket in front of us. I will look at the lacking in my team," Mehidy concluded.