Online Desk: After the T20I Series win for Sri Lanka, the stage for the three-match ODI is all set for Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, starting on Wednesday in Chattogram.

While Bangladesh lag behind the tourists when it comes to T20Is, but in ODIs they hold the edge. Especially their history in the last few years in ODIs tells that this series is going to be tough for Sri Lanka. Well, after the defeat in the T20I Series, the hosts will also have a challenging time in the field.

However, apart from the recent triumph against Bangladesh in T20Is, Sri Lanka can draw confidence in getting an advantage from Bangladesh’s history of the last year, where they failed to continue their ODI prowess.

However, Bangladesh Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto isn’t dwelling on history. Instead, he’s focused on overcoming present challenges.

“Challenge is always there, “he told reporters ahead of the first match of the ODI Series. “There is a challenge, whatever team you face, in an international team you face. We have played great cricket from 2015 to 2022. Now, it’s okay, that a year did not go well for us. What is important now is to bounce back as a team, and we are ready for that.”

Chattogram’s wickets are traditionally more friendly to the batters. In the most recent instances, the fans saw some big-scoring matches in Chattogram during the BPL. Sri Lankan batters proved that they can score against the Bangladesh attack on the wickets of Sylhet, which are more friendly to the bowlers, as stats suggest. This means, they might be more dangerous in Chattogram.

“We have experienced some good batting scores recently,” the Sri Lankan coach Chris Silverwood said. “So, we’ll keep trying to push that.”

The Bangladesh captain knows well about this challenge and he believes, if the bowlers can come up as a unit and do well, everything can be faced on the field.

“The bowlers are certainly going to face challenges,” Shanto said. “Knowing how they can adapt to the condition is important. We often say without understanding that bowlers do not bowl well. But everyone should understand the circumstances.”

Both Silverwood and Shanto hinted that they are kicking off their preparation for the next World Cup starting from this match. Bangladesh captain said that he wants the team to play as a team and be supportive of each other in the mix.

Bangladesh may shuffle their batting order, with Litton Das potentially dropping down and Soumya Sarkar gaining all-rounder duties. Tanzid Hasan Tamim might fill the opening slot.

Bangladesh has won only 10 of their 54 ODIs against Sri Lanka, most victories coming in recent years. While history paints Sri Lanka as a formidable foe, the current scenario is different. Bangladesh will be fighting to prove this.

The ODI series will be broadcast live in Bangladesh on Gtv and T-Sports. Fans worldwide can access the matches through various TV-Channels and OTT-Platforms, including the Rabbithole and T-Sports YouTube-Channels.