Tigers look to remedy home record as rivalry with Sri Lank heats up

Bangladesh are seeking an improved performance to make a winning start to the three-match ODI series as they will take on the visiting Sri Lanka at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram today (Wednesday), report agencies.

The match will start at 2.30 PM.

The two sides had already played a three-match T20 series, which Sri Lanka won by 2-1.

Thushara, the replacement of injured Matheesha Pathirana, is set to play the ODI series too and so Bangladesh need to come up with a solid plan to neutralise his effect.

Bangladesh have lost their last two home series to Afghanistan and New Zealand and are looking to avoid a third straight defeat.

Shanto said that Shakib Al Hasan's absence will influence how they shape the playing XI, but he wants to keep the batting order as unchanged as possible in this series.

"We are prepared for a turnaround as a team," Shanto said a day before the start of the three-match ODI series on Tuesday. "We did very well between 2015 and 2022, but we had one bad year. That can happen. We always face challenges at this level, so it is important that we start playing well.

"We didn't change [our line-up] much in our last series in New Zealand. Shakib bhai isn't in the team, so there will be a bit more planning. He makes life easy for all of us. We will keep his absence in mind when making the batting order. We are hopeful of having a steady batting line-up."

"It is important to see how the bowlers adjust to the conditions and wicket in Chattogram," Shanto said. "It is definitely a challenge for them. Everyone has to consider the conditions in which they are bowling. We are not worried about how much a bowler is conceding individually. We want to see the bowling unit functioning well as a group."

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka are fired up to fight against rivals Bangladesh in their strongest format, coach Chris Silverwood said on Tuesday.

The current tour has seen both teams needling each other over the first timed-out dismissal in the 146-year history of international cricket during their World Cup clash last year.

Sri Lanka brought up the incident after clinching the tour's Twenty20 series on Saturday, prompting Bangladesh to accuse their opponents of failing to move on. "The rivalry is obviously great. I think we need good competition," Silverwood told reporters ahead of Wednesday's opener in Chattogram.

"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."

The second and third matches in the series will be held on March 15 and 18.

Overall the two sides played 54 matches between them of which Bangladesh won 10 and Sri Lanka 42. The two matches ended in a no result.

Bangladesh has been a fortress for Sri Lanka until their last tour, when they conceded the three-match ODI series by 2-1. But before that, Sri Lanka won every series played here by the two teams. They also won several tri-nation series and Asia Cup here. On Bangladesh soil, Sri Lanka won 14 matches against the Tigers and lost six. Stat might show the Sri Lankan dominance over Bangladesh in every aspect but the situation changed after the 2015 World Cup when the Tigers won a considerable number of matches to break Lankan dominance.