Sri Lanka, Bangladesh heat up cricket rivalry ahead of ODI series kickoff

In a prelude to their highly anticipated one-day international series, Sri Lanka’s coach, Chris Silverwood, has ignited the competitive spirit, emphasizing his team’s determination to face arch-rivals Bangladesh in their strongest format.

The backdrop to this series is the lingering tension between the two teams stemming from the first-ever timed-out dismissal in the 146-year history of international cricket during their World Cup clash last year. Sri Lanka’s Mathews, who faced the historic dismissal, became a focal point of contention.

After securing victory in the Twenty20 series last Saturday, Sri Lanka stirred the controversy again by pointing to their wrists during the celebration, symbolizing the timed-out incident. Bangladesh’s response accused their opponents of being unable to move on from the past.

Coach Silverwood addressed the media, stating, “The rivalry is obviously great. I think we need good competition. We’re going to play some competitive cricket. I expect exactly the same again… And obviously both teams will be looking for the same, I should imagine.”

Mathews’ timed-out dismissal during the World Cup match, where he failed to take strike within the stipulated two minutes, has fueled the ongoing feud. Despite arguing a helmet strap issue, the umpires upheld the decision as Bangladesh chose not to withdraw their appeal.

Adding to the drama, Bangladesh’s Towhid Hridoy was fined 15 percent of his match fees for aggressive behavior towards Sri Lankan players after his dismissal during the T20 match.

As the ODI series kicks off on Wednesday in Chittagong, Bangladesh’s skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed confidence in his team’s ability to bounce back, citing their historical success in 50-over matches. Bangladesh aims to reclaim their dominance after a rare home format defeat in 2023 against England and Afghanistan.

Najmul commented, “We played very good cricket from 2015 to 2022. So it can be a bad year. But it’s important to bounce back as a team and come back well this year.”

Cricket enthusiasts can expect a thrilling contest between the rivals, with the second and third matches in the series scheduled for March 15 and 18, promising further intensity and drama on the field.