A blistering 86 runs innings from Kushal Mendis and latter five-wicket haul including a hat-trick by a fierce spell of Nuwan Thushara, Sri Lanka just outclassed Bangladesh in the last match to win the three-match T20 series.
Nazmul Hossain Shanto after winning the toss decided to field first but could not restrict Sri Lanka on a reasonable total, as the visitors threw a big challenge of 174 runs to cross for Tigers to win.
Chasing to a massive target, Tigers batters just saw huge debacle at early of their innings with Nuwan Thushara slammed hat-trick with picking up the wickets of captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy and Mahmudullah Riyad in a row when the medium fast bowlers finally grabbed five wickets.
It was three successive matches when Bangladesh captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto had the coin favour with winning in the last T20 match on Saturday in the three-match T20 series at the Sylhet International Stadium.
Shanto took same decision as he did in the first two matches when opted to field first on the day but could not halt the visitors cheaply.
However, it was another disappointing display from the Bangladesh batters when after losing the opener Litton Das for 13 with Dhananjaya de Silva made the early breakthrough.
Litton trying to sweep a length ball from De Silva could not connect well as it top edged and Dasun Shanaka took a running catch, as Bangladesh reduced to 13 for one.
Then Nazmul Shanto joined Soumya Sarker, but the captain was bowled by one of the best ball of the series by Thushara after playing six balls and scoring only one run.
But it was a superb full- length delivery and Shanto played a straight drive but the swing takes it between bat and pad and shattered the stumps.
Towhid Hridoy and Mahmudullah Ryad followed the captain when Thushara on fire to send back and as well to damage the Tigers’ top orders for a duck each.
Thushara bowled Towhid Hridoy with another wonderful delivery and was on hat-trick when he (Thushara) pitched the ball on middle and off, Hridoy played the line of the ball, but it moved away past his outside edge and the stump came out of the ground.
Thushara completed his hat-trick with trapping Mahmudullah for lbw and this time the bowler pitched the ball just in line with off but seemingly the swing be taking the ball past the off stump.
it pitches just in line with off probably, but could the swing be taking the ball past the off stump and hit the pad and on-field umpire gave lbw decision. Experienced Bangladesh batter straight took the review but the decision was right and Thushara completed his hat-trick.
After being reduced to 15 for five, Jaker Ali joined Soumya Sarker, who was watching four of to order batters left him in quick successions, he also could stay for a long as he left for scoring 11 runs and scored card read five for 24 runs.
Then Jaker Ali, who played 68 off 38 balls in the first match and did not bat in the second match, could score only four runs from 13 deliveries.
At the later orders Mehdi Miraz, Rishad and Taskin Ahmed could reduced the margin of defeat when they scored 53 and 31 runs respectively. The impressive innings from Rishad and Taskin were not enough for Bangladesh to win the match, as they finally could manage 146 runs by 19.4 balls before being all out.
In the first match Tigers suffered three runs defeat in a nerve-wracking high scoring match and bounced back strongly in the second match to level the series 1-1 with a comfortable eight wickets victory.
In the series decider match, Sri Lanka changed made three changes with Pathirana, Madushanka and the opener Avishka went out and Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva and Nuwan Thushara coming in.
It was just almost a one-man show during the batting of Sri Lanka, when Kushal Mendis singlehandedly brought the team to 174 runs, a challenging total for Bangladesh to chase.
In the opening stand, Dhananjaya de Silva replaced Avishka Fernando, who score four and a duck in the previous two matches respectively.
But Dhananjya de Silva could not also justified his inclusion when Taskin Ahmed sent him back for only eight runs and the scoreboard showing 18 for one.
Kushal Mendis losing opening partner Dhananjya de Silva at early stage, as he lost Avishka in the first and second match and accompanied by one down Kamindu Mendis repaired the damage. In the third match also it looked a similar story, as the second wicket partnership brought the team to 52 for two by by7.4 overs.
But Kushal Menddis, who has been continuing his splendid performances at the crisis moment since the first match scoring 59 off 36 balls with three six four and sixes and 36 off 22 balls in the second match, displayed a solo effort on the day also.
Mendis, after losing the partners in regular interval, struck a quick-fire 86 off 55 balls hammering six fours and as many sixes.
Kushal Mendis, who had highest 79 runs inning in his last 63 T20 internationals, crossed his previous highest on the day to guide Sri Lanka singlehandedly to score a challenging total of 174 runs before being caught by Soumya Sarker.
When it looked that Kushal Mendis heading to score his first T20 hundred, attempting to pool on a chest high bouncer from Taskin Ahmed but was top edged before to fly towards at midwicket where Soumya was just waiting and had no trouble to catch the ball.
After Kushal leaving Sri Lanka 140 for five by 16.5 overs, Dusan Shanaka scored 19 runs off nine balls, the second highest contribution of Sri Lankan innings following 15 runs from captain
