Sri Lanka's Fielding Prowess Fuels ODI Victory Over Bangladesh, Hasaranga Says

Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga attributes his team's impressive fielding performance to their decisive 77-run victory against Bangladesh in the opening One Day International. The team's energetic display in the field proved to be a game-changer.

Sri Lanka's efforts on the field made a huge difference in the end. © BCB

At one stage, Bangladesh seemed to be in a comfortable position at 100/1. However, a collapse was triggered by Milan Rathnayake's excellent throw from deep square leg, resulting in a run-out of Najmul Hossain (23). Tanzid Hasan, who had reached his half-century after Litton Das's early dismissal, looked set to steer his team to victory, but Janith Liyanage's stunning catch at mid-off marked the beginning of a dramatic turnaround.

Hasaranga emphasized the importance of key fielding moments, stating, "Milan Rathnayake was outstanding, so was Janith Liyanage. We have shown how we can change games with our fielding, and this game is 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 favor."

He also expressed confidence in defending their total after posting a score close to 250. "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 said.

Commenting on Bangladesh's strategy, Hasaranga noted, "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 further explained the tactical decision to introduce him into the attack as late as 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 lauded the team's batting performance, highlighting the positive direction under Charith Asalanka's leadership. "He (Charith) goes about 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 to the team. That's something that we didn't have a few years ago. Why we are winning consistently nowadays is that the batters are doing their job, and things are made easy for the bowlers."

Despite facing injury challenges, Hasaranga expressed his satisfaction in contributing to the team's success, particularly as he celebrated his 100th ODI wicket on the eighth anniversary of his international debut. "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 100-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."