Sangrakara for third time was lucky with the coin and appreciating the dew factor opted to bowl first. For Bangladesh this is the third time they batted first and will have to struggle with the dew soaked wet ball to defend the lowest total so far in the tournament.

Wicket at Shere Bangla Stadium appeared a bit slow and low. Stroke play looked a bit difficult than earlier days. But it was not in any way unsuitable for good intelligent batting. Tamim and Kayes started with a bang racing to 44 in the eighth over. But as soon as Tamim departed Bangladesh became ultra defensive. Ashrfaul was looking good till he ran himself out attempting a risky second run. A lovely direct throw of Tulshara from deep third man draw curtain to Ashraful innings.Imrul Kayes was batting sensibly. But he also lost his coll and got out scoring 42 of 54 deliveries.
Roquibul and Saquibul two of the better accomplished batsmen got together. Wicket started playing some tricks. Odd balls were keeping low, some were turning and bouncing.Balls were not coming easily to the bat.Situation required cautious batting. Sri Lankans started bowling tight. However batting responsibly this 4th wicket pair added 77 runs in 20overs. A launching pad was ready. Roquibul fell to Perera scoring 43. Mushfique joined Saquib.By that time Saquib was well set. But Mushfique created the momentum stepping up the scoring rate taking 17 runs in one over of Samaraweera.
Saquib opted for batting power play at 4/199 in 43 rd over. He himself was well set and Mushfique set the momentum. But batting power play triggered dramatic collapse.Saquib was gone first ball of Tushara dragging a length ball outside the off stump and getting caught at deep square leg. Mushfiue, Naeem, Razzak and Rubel all fell to some tight bowling and careless batting in the batting power play adding only 32 runs. Bangladesh could reach 249/9 in allotted 50 overs.
Bangladesh was in an ideal postion at 43 over with Saquib and Mushfique going well and hard hitters Mahamadullah and Naeem to follow to score at least 275 +. Whatever be the nature of the wicket Bangladesh fell at least 30 short of a challenging target. All Srilankan bowlers bowled exceptionally well. Perera, Randiv and Kulashera picked 2 wickets each. Several Bangladeshi batsmen got start but could not convert to a big score. After two reasonably good batting performances in two earlier matches the true state of fragile Bangladeshi batting was sadly exposed.
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Srilankans started with a bang. Dazzling Dilshan is not yet fit to play. Mahela was flown in from Srilanka .When Bangladesh batted Srilankans made Bangladeshi batsmen to grind and graft. But Sri Lankans batted so smoothly. May be the quality of bowling mattered.  Mahela usually bats at number 4. He stepped into Dilshan shoes and started in Shewag Dilshan business as usual mood. Balls started rocketing in all direction with majestic stroke play. It was pure class and finesses.  Thranga matched with him stroke for stroke. An avalanche was on. It was excellent display of Sri Lankan batting festival. Toothlessly Bangladeshi bowling was ruthlessly massacred. Spin or pace all looked alike. It was wonderful exhibition of cultured stroke play. No brute force nothing much unorthodox. Simple caressing the ball around. Runs started flowing like smooth fountain flow. Partnership 50 was scored in 8th over, 100 in the 17th, 150 in 24th and 200 in the 34th over. Jayawardene scored his 100 in 109 balls and Tharanga took 119 balls for it. Bangladesh managed to get lone Mahela wicket for 108 at team score of 215.Tharanga remained not out at 118 with 16 fours and Sangrakara was required to score 17. Saquib used as many as 8 bowlers with none making any impression at all. No bowlers looked like putting any pressure at all on Sri Lankan batting.Sri Lanka won it very ease by 9 wickets.
No one in the wildest of dreams expected Bangladesh to fly past India or Sri Lanka to play in the final of the tournament. But everyone thought of weighing our recent better showing against depleted West Indies and minnow Zimbabwe at home and away. Bangladesh at least batted reasonably well in the first two matches. But the third was all round poor cricket pathetic display.  Bowling is extremely poor. Depleted West Indies and Zimbabwe played spin extremely .We got away with it. But against Srilanka and India – the best players of spin how Bangladesh could dare to approach with such thin bowling resources. Why Bangladesh could not start with three man pace attack? What useful purpose Naeem Islam served other than some last over cameo in the first match? Why we need so many spinners knowing than dew will make them ineffective? Why Aftab could not play? His seam up pace bowling and much better batting could be useful. Did our batsmen play better than what experienced Alok Kapali and Shahriar Nafees could deliver? Is there any personal agenda of any one in the selection process against ICL returnees? I think selectors and BCB owe explanation to the cricket loving nation.
Tri Nation ODI tournament hopes are done and dusted for Bangladesh. It must now look forward and plan how to restict Shewag and Tendukar in setting new batting record in the upcoming test series. These Indians are in terrific form. Many batting record may be tumbled. Bangladesh bowling looks awfully short of talent. God saves Bangladesh from Indian batting Gods- Shewag, Gambhir, Dravid, Sachin, Laksman, Dhoni and Yuvaraj.