Kusal Mendis yesterday atoned for the impetuousness that cost him his wicket in the previous game as he put his head down to carving a 114-ball 124 to thrashing Bangladesh by 99 runs in the decisive third ODI for a 2-1 series triumph at the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium.
The 30-year old right hander counting over 4000 ODI runs from 146 appearances struck 18 fours in registering his sixth century in the format in batting out the very length of the innings falling in the 46th over with Sri Lanka firmly placed on 255 to set Bangladesh a huge target in a final rub in of 285 for 7 with the imaginative man for any situation with bat or ball all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga weathering a 4-wicket collapse for 35 runs which he did in adding an unfinished 30 for the eighth wicket together with Dushnsntha Chsmeera unbeaten on 16 before having a 2-wicket go at Bangladesh top order clean bowling key batter Najimul Hossain Shanto for a third ball duck snd going on to bowl top scorer Towhid Hridoy for 51.
Hasaranga, for his part cracked in with a 2-wicket bleeding of the Bangla batting on a day quick Asitha Fernando was the lion heart along with Chameera in yanking out three Bangladesh wickets each. Dunith Wellalage was equal to the task with two wickets to his credit with the opposition smoked out for 186 in only 39.4 overs.
Kusal Mendis was rewarded with both the top awards.
Chief Scores
Sri Lanka 285/7 50 Overs
Kusal Mendis 124, Charith Asalanka 58, Pathum Nissanka 35, Wanindu Hasaranga n.o. 18, Dushmantha Chameera n.o. 16, Kamindu Mendis 16, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 3/48, Taskin Ahmed 2/51
Bangladesh 186 39 4 Overs
Towhid Hridoy 51, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 28, Jaker Ali 27, Asitha Fernsndo 3/33, Dushmantha Chameera 3/51, Dunith Wellalage 2/33, Wanindu Hasaranga 2/35.