Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal said his team have not yet played the best despite securing a series win against Sri Lanka with a game to spare.
Hosts Bangladesh registered their maiden series victory against visitors Sri Lanka after winning the second ODI of the three-match series with a margin of 103 runs (Duckworth/Lewis method) at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur Tuesday.
With the win, Bangladesh took an unassailable 2-0 lead with the third match still to be played.
Bangladesh are now at the top of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League standing.
The Tigers with five wins in eight games have secured 50 points.
England are at No 2, followed by Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand at No 3, 4 and 5 respectively.
Bangladesh Tuesday batted first after winning the toss, but struggled by losing wickets at regular intervals.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim emerged as the savior on the occasion scoring his eighth century in the format.
The right-handed batsman added a 127-ball 125 to the board, complemented by Mahmudullah’s 41 to take the team total to 246.
“Very happy to have won the series but I think we have not played our best game yet. I am hoping in the third game we can come up with the perfect game. If you see (Tuesday) we lost a lot of wickets early and in the middle and at one stage scoring 200 seemed difficult. Then Mushfiq came to the rescue, and built the innings which was very good. In the end we got to an okay total I would say. I thought the wicket played pretty low compared to the first game,” said Tamim at the post-match presentation.
The game had several interruptions due to rain but that did not derail Bangladesh from their dominance against the opposition.
The bowling department was topped by off-spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz and left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman as the duo shared six wickets among themselves.
Shakib al Hasan picked up two while debutant Shariful Islam bagged one as Sri Lanka finished with 141 at the end in 40 overs (curtailed).
Before the rain interrupted the game for the last time, Sri Lanka were batting on 126/9 in 38 overs.
As many as 10 overs were lost in this duration, and when the game resumed the D/L method had set up the visitors an impossible 119 to chase in two overs.
“The bowlers were exceptional. Shariful bowled well in debut and then after the concussion injury [of Saifuddin] Taskin (Ahmed) came in. it is never easy if you are told suddenly that you are going to bowl. But the way he bowled showed character. Among spinners, Miraz was once again brilliant, Shakib was good as well. So bowling department I am very happy with,” said Tamim.
“Fielding department also we have started to feel better now. But as I said we have not nailed it. Before the series I had told that we have to step up with our fielding. Yes, we took some good catches but the catches we did not take are the catches that can change games in a crucial time. Maybe it was not needed today but you never know you may need it tomorrow. So, if we start taking those catches then I will be a very happy captain,” the Bangladesh skipper added.