Taskin and Mendis share the honours
SRI LANKA V BANGLADESH ROUND-UP
BANGLADESH will have to wait until tomorrow to see if they can clinch a first series victory over Sri Lanka in any format, after the potentially decisive second ODI in Dambulla was abandoned due to rain.
Hosts Sri Lanka were hoping to restore pride after losing by 90 runs in the opening ODI at the same ground and skipper Urul Tharanga chose to bat but found himself welcoming Kusal Mendis to the crease in the third over after Danushka Gunathilaka was undone by a Mashrafe Mortaza off-cutter, lofting the ball to square leg.
But Mendis would take control of the innings to reach his maiden ODI century in a total of 311 that featured a hattrick from Bangladesh paceman Taskin Ahmed.
The second wicket partnership of 111 helped the hosts reach the halfway stage at 144-2.
Bangladesh began to turn the match into a tense affair after Taskin took a return catch from Mendis on 102.
After the two Pereras, Thisara and Dilruwan, were run out, Taskin then weighed in with a sensational hat-trick in the final over.
Taking the wickets of Asela Gunaratne and Suranga Lakmal, his next ball was a pinpoint yorker to Nuwan Pradeep setting Taskin off on a sprint in celebration.
But rain would have the final say in what could have proved to be a nail-biting run chase.