Image: Sri Lanka won the ODI series with a big victory in Kandy / © ESPNcricinfo
The series was tied at 1-1, making the third ODI at Pallekele on July 8, 2025, a thrilling decider. Both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were fired up to win and Sri Lanka’s captain, Charith Asalanka, won the toss and decided to bat first, aiming for a big total on a pitch that was great for batting but gave bowlers a bit of help early on.
Sri Lanka’s innings started poorly when opener Nishan Madushka was out for just 1 run off 6 balls, caught by Najmul Hossain Shanto off Tanzim Hasan Sakib in the third over and at 13/3, Bangladesh saw a chance to turn the screws. But Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis calmed things down, adding 56 runs together for the second wicket. Nissanka, who loves batting at Pallekele, looked at ease, scoring 35 off 47 balls with four fours before Parvez Hossain Emon caught him off Tanvir Islam’s bowling in the 14th over.
Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper-batter, took control with a bold yet smart innings. He raced to his fifty with flair, his third in four matches, proving how much he loves batting at Pallekele. Mendis was especially tough on the spinners, hitting crisp cover drives and placing the ball cleverly, like when he smoothly flicked a boundary off Tanvir Islam’s full ball, as the commentators pointed out. He and Kamindu Mendis put on 31 runs together before Kamindu was out, trapped lbw by Bangladesh’s captain.
The game’s turning point was a brilliant 124-run partnership between Kusal Mendis and captain Charith Asalanka for the fourth wicket. Asalanka led by example, playing a steady innings of 58 off 68 balls, hitting nine fours. He kept the runs flowing with smart shot selection and clever running, while Mendis went on the attack, reaching his sixth ODI hundred and Mendis’ 124 off 114 balls, packed with 18 fours, was a perfect mix of power and patience. Together, they pushed Sri Lanka to 224/3 by the 40th over, setting their sights on a score well over 300.
Janith Liyanage, who has a knack for performing against Bangladesh, scored 12 off 17 balls before unfortunately hitting his own wicket off Mehidy’s bowling. Mendis fell soon after for 124, caught and bowled by Shamim Hossain, and Dunith Wellalage’s brief 6 off 6 balls ended with a catch to Taskin Ahmed. Sri Lanka slipped from 224/3 to 259/7, but Wanindu Hasaranga (18 not out off 14) and Dushmantha Chameera (10 not out off 8) ensured the innings ended on a high, adding 26 runs in the final three overs to reach 285/7.
The bowling effort from Bangladesh was led by Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed, who took two wickets each, conceding 48 and 51 runs respectively. Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Tanvir Islam picked up one wicket apiece, but Mustafizur Rahman went wicketless, conceding 52 runs. Shamim Hossain’s solitary wicket of Mendis was a highlight.
Bangladesh’s chase of 286 began on a disastrous note as opener Tanzid Hasan was bowled by Asitha Fernando for 17 off 13 balls, including three fours, in the third over. The situation worsened when captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was clean bowled by Dushmantha Chameera for a three-ball duck, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 20/2 in just 3.5 overs. Parvez Hossain Emon and Towhid Hridoy tried to rebuild with a 42-run partnership for the third wicket. Emon, fresh off a 67 in the second ODI, looked steady, scoring 28 off 44 balls with four boundaries before being caught by Kamindu Mendis off Dunith Wellalage in the 13th over, making it 62/3.
Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz came in with intent, scoring a quick 28 off 25 balls, including four fours and a six, raising hopes of a fightback. His 43-run stand with Hridoy for the fourth wicket took Bangladesh to 100 runs in 19.2 overs, but Mehidy’s dismissal, caught by Janith Liyanage off Wellalage, dealt a massive blow at 105/4. Shamim Hossain, who had impressed with the ball, struggled with the bat, scoring 12 off 18 balls before being stumped by Kusal Mendis off Wanindu Hasaranga’s guile in the 27th over, leaving Bangladesh at 124/5. The pressure was mounting, with the required run rate climbing above six an over.
Towhid Hridoy, the mainstay of the innings, fought hard, reaching his fifty off 75 balls with three fours and a six. His gritty knock kept Bangladesh in the hunt, but the lack of support from the other end hurt their cause. Jaker Ali, the wicketkeeper, showed some resistance with 27 off 35 balls, including a six off a slower ball from Asitha Fernando, but he too was bowled by Fernando in the 39th over, leaving Bangladesh at 182/9. The lower order crumbled quickly, with Tanzim Hasan Sakib (5 off 8) caught by Mendis off Chameera and Taskin Ahmed (1 off 3) bowled by Fernando. Tanvir Islam, the hero of the second ODI with a five-wicket haul, managed 8 off 10 balls but was caught off Hasaranga, ending Bangladesh’s innings at 186 in 39.4 overs.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers were relentless. With Asitha Fernando and Dushmantha Chameera leading the charge. Each taking three wickets. Fernando’s figures of 3/33 included the crucial scalps of Tanzid, Jaker, and Taskin. While Chameera’s 3/51 accounted for Shanto, Hridoy, and Tanzim. Dunith Wellalage was impressive with 2/33, dismissing Emon and Mehidy, while Wanindu Hasaranga’s 2/35 included the wickets of Shamim and Tanvir, wrapping up the innings and Bangladesh’s innings was marred by their inability to build substantial partnerships after the early losses.
In the third ODI at Pallekele on July 8, 2025, Asitha Fernando’s three wickets were the TCNI’s Magic Moment, turning the game for Sri Lanka’s 99-run win. Chasing 286, Bangladesh were rocked early when Fernando bowled Tanzid Hasan for 17 off 13 balls in the 2.6th over, knocking over the stumps to make it 19/1. Later, in the 36.4th over, he got Taskin Ahmed for 1 off 3 balls with a perfect yorker, leaving Bangladesh at 171/8.
Fernando sealed it in the 38.5th over, bowling Jaker Ali for 27 off 35 balls with a swinging ball that hit the stumps, bringing Bangladesh to 182/9 and with figures of 7 overs, 33 runs, and 3 wickets, Fernando’s early and late strikes stopped Bangladesh from building partnerships on a pitch that helped seamers. His spell put them under huge pressure, leading to their collapse at 186 in 39.4 overs.
Kusal Mendis earned the TCNI’s Hero of the Day for his brilliant 124 off 114 balls, steering Sri Lanka to a 99-run win in the 3rd ODI at Pallekele on July 8, 2025. With Sri Lanka at 13/1 after Nishan Madushka’s early dismissal, Mendis anchored the innings, scoring 18 fours at a strike rate of 108.77.
His 56-run stand with Pathum Nissanka steadied the ship, and a 124-run partnership with Charith Asalanka took Sri Lanka to 224/3 by the 40th over andMendis’ sixth ODI century, marked by elegant drives and deft placements against spinners, set a challenging 285/7. Despite falling to Shamim Hossain in the 45th over, his knock was the difference, as Bangladesh crumbled to 186 chasing 286. Mendis’ 225 runs in the series won him the Player of the Series, and his century, praised widely on X, powered Sri Lanka to a 2-1 series victory.