Bangladesh has won just three of its 45 away matches — two against West Indies in 2009 and one against Zimbabwe in 2013 — but has shown considerable improvement since its last victory overseas.

In its own backyard, Bangladesh has won four Tests, drawn five and conceded only three defeats since 2014. It showed impressive recent form against New Zealand and then India in away matches despite losing in both countries.

Sri Lanka has a solid record at home and blanked Australia 3-0 in the last series it hosted, in August 2016. But Bangladesh will be buoyed by the return of Mustafizur Rahman, the left-arm paceman who has not played a Test since his debut series against South Africa in 2015.

Mustafizur, 21, had undergone a shoulder surgery in August last year, after picking up an injury while playing for Sussex. He was selected for the New Zealand tour in December-January, and played four limited-overs matches before being ruled out of the two Tests that followed due to a hamstring injury.

Sri Lanka has won each of its last five Tests on home soil and will be captained by Rangana Herath, its experienced left-arm spinner who replaced Angelo Mathews.

The Sri Lankan cricket board did not say why Mathews was dropped, but he returned home last month midway through the South African tour after twisting his ankle.

The second Test in Colombo from March 15 will be Bangladesh’s 100th since it gained full status nearly 17 years ago.

The teams are also scheduled to play three One-Day Internationals before facing off in two Twenty20 Internationals to wind down the tour on April 6.

Teams (from):

Sri Lanka: Rangana Herath (capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Upul Tharanga, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Asela Gunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Pradeep, Vikum Sanjaya Bandara, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Malinda Pushpakumara.

Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt, wk), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad, Sabbir Rahman, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Mehedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mosaddek Hossain, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Subashis Roy, Rubel H

Accordingly, the current scenario is of tremendous expectancy in a changed outlook of several colts that have come on the blocks who will strive to make their cricketing dream come true. Of significance to the Sri Lankan crusade is the presence of veteran campaigner Upul Tharanga back with a bang from an ODI century against South Africa and his consistency with the bat in leading the T20 team to the preceding series triumph. His T20 captaincy performance has been an apparent plus factor to the recall of the 32-year old veteran of 25 Test outings in ousting regular opener Kaushal di Silva for the opening berth. He has a moderate aggregate of 1400 runs from 46 innings with a highest of 165. He is epected to beef up the batting upfront pairing with Dimuth Karunaratne back from an on trial reprieve that he came through with a double ton against England A in the unofficial second test match. Also buoying is the apparent cementing of Test places by wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella and Asela Gunaratne as specialist batsmen, and as much the naming of the 29-year old spin cum utility player Malinda Pushpakumara. While Dickwella and Gunaratne literally nudged the selectors by some fine performances in the instant cricket in South Africa after being omitted for the Test series, Pushpakumara, the former Lumbini MV, Colombo and Chilaw Marians player has been in top form with the ball heading the domestic averages. His 13-wicket haul and match sealing boundary in Sri Lanka A’s win against England A in the second unofficial Test was high stuff at that level that has thrust him on the threshold of winning his national cap against Bangladesh for the first Test starting on March 7 at the Galle Esplanade.

All in all, the squad does carry a lineup of some promising youngsters along with a string of campaigners who have been around long enough to test Bangladesh to the extreme in favourable home conditions. An added dimension to the Sri Lankan official ranks is of course that former top campaigner, Asanka Gurusinha as manager Cricket for the National Team. It is a highly laudable choice by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in getting the perfect blend at managerial level given Gurusinha’s tremendous services to Sri Lanka cricket.

Neighbours Bangladesh will be led by experienced batsman Mushfiqur Rahim in a composition that sees fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman recalled after a 2-year hiatus. The exchanges, that will also see three ODIs and two T20s, has already assumed fiery proportions with the visiting skipper Rahim having thrown the gauntlet in stating on his arrival that Bangladesh was confident of upsetting Sri Lanka in the absence of regular Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews. Test minnows, who top their 100th Test match against Sri Lanka on March 15, have indeed come a long way chalking up a string of Test wins mainly against Zimbabwe, and also defeating the West Indies, in their thrust to tasting the test series euphoria.

Sri Lanka Test squad:Rangana Herath (Captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Upul Tharanga, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Asela Gunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Pradeep, Vikum Sanjaya Bandara, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Malinda Pushpakumara.

Bangladesh Test squad Mushfiqur Rahim (c), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Mehedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mosaddek Hossain, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Subashis Roy, Rubel Hossain.

Tour Manager – Ranjith Fernando, Heapd coach – Graham Ford, Physiotherapist – Ajantha Wattegama, Trainer – Nicholas Lee, Masseur – Lal Thamel, Performance analyst- Sriram Somayajula, Liaison officers – Chandra Rodrigo (Sri Lankan Team), Wasantha Ariyawickrama (B

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Gunaratne hit two match-winning fifties in the recent T20 series in Australia, and had also struck a maiden ODI hundred in South Africa earlier in the month. Dickwella, meanwhile, has been effective at the top of the order in the shorter formats, but had also had some first-class form behind him in recent domestic outings.

Among those omitted from the squad are Kusal Perera, who has been in poor form in both international and domestic cricket over the past few months, and opener Kaushal Silva.

Dimuth Karunaratne, the other opener, remains in the squad, however. This is thanks in part to his 212 for Sri Lanka A against England Lions over the weekend. He had also hit Sri Lanka’s only half-century in their most recent Test at the Wanderers.

The selectors sprang no major surprises on the bowling front. Malinda Pushpakumara, whom SLC had already announced would be part of the squad, is the only first-time addition. Lahiru Kumara, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep and Vikum Sanjaya – all right-armers – make up the seam-bowling options, while Rangana Herath leads a strong spin contingent featuring Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan in addition to Pushpakumara. Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera has not played competitive cricket since late last year, and, as such, is unavailable.

Gunaratne’s inclusion in this squad was largely expected. He had prospered in his first Test series in Zimbabwe over October and November, and had only left the squad to make way for the return of Angelo Mathews, who had been injured for that series. With Mathews out of the side again for this series, Gunaratne is a potential replacement at no. 5, capable of providing a slow-medium bowling option for captain Herath.

Dickwella, 23, had to beat out a late challenge from Ron Chandraguptha to secure the second opener’s spot, but was also the frontrunner for this position. He had mixed results in his previous stint in the Test team in 2014, playing as wicketkeeper and batting down the order – he averages 20.57 after seven Test innings – but has since expanded his game. He was the Player of the Series in the 2-1 T20 victory over South Africa in January, and had also scored 522 runs at an average of 52.20 in Sri Lanka’s first-class competition before he left for that tour.

The Test series begins on March 7 in Galle.

Sri Lanka squad: Rangana Herath (capt), Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Dimuth Karunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Upul Tharanga, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Asela Gunaratne, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Pradeep, Vikum Sanjaya, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Malinda Pushpakumara.

Captain Mushfiqur Rahim and coach Chandika Hathurusingha both expressed the view that the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka by Bangladesh was another opportunity for them to show the world how far they have progressed in international cricket.

Of late Bangladesh widely regarded as the minnows and as easy beats in international cricket has made vast strides towards erasing that title bestowed on them by opposing teams.

Former Sri Lanka cricketer Chandika Hathurusingha now coach of Bangladesh addressing the press conference held at Taj Samudra yesterday.

However in the past three years under the guidance of Hathurusingha Bangladesh have proved more than a handful for any side especially in their own conditions.

The conditions in Sri Lanka are not going to be any different to what they experience at home and with the know-how of Hathurusingha as head coach and a few other past Sri Lankans in the team’s support staff that includes Thilan Samaraweera (batting coach) and Mario Villavarayen (trainer) Bangladesh can fancy their chances on recording their maiden Test win over Sri Lanka.

“You can have all the support staff you want and the knowledge of the opposition. It also brings a lot of pressure because what is important is that the players must take that to the middle and perform,” said Mushfiqur at the media conference held at Taj Samudra yesterday.

“You could say that we have a better chance of winning on this occasion than in the past because some of Sri Lanka’s top batsmen have retired and they are somewhat an inexperienced side going through a period of team rebuilding. We know beating Sri Lanka in their conditions is not easy. They showed that against the Australians recently,” he said.

Hathurusingha, a former Sri Lanka cricketer and coach said that Sri Lanka has helped Bangladesh cricket progress in various ways. “We have played more Test matches against Sri Lanka than against any other country. Bangladesh is today in the same position as Sri Lanka was when I was playing. This tour will give us a chance to show how far we have come in cricket.

“Our preparations are no different to any other team. If we play to our potential we should have a very good chance. We are not taking Sri Lanka lightly,” he said.

Hathurusingha said that he held no grudges against Sri Lanka for being ditched as coach six years ago. “I have no regrets for what happened a long time ago. I am disappointed that I couldn’t help my country but I am happy with what I am doing now.”

Sri Lanka captain Rangana Herath said the Bangladesh series was another challenge against a team that is in the stages of rebuilding.

“If we perform to our potential we will win. I have the utmost confidence in my batsmen that they will deliver,” said Herath who led an inexperienced Sri Lanka side to a 2-0 win in Zimbabwe in his first stint as Test captain in November last year.

Commenting on the inclusion of left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara in the Sri Lanka Test squad for the series, Herath said that any bowler taking over 50 wickets a season regularly has to be good.

“He has come a long way and he deserves to be included. Whether he will play in the series I cannot say. I am also a left-arm spinner like him and we have to strike a balance in the team. If he doesn’t play in this series I am sure he will get an opportunity in the next,” said Herath.

Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford said that one of the key areas that had affected the team’s performance has been fielding and every effort is being made to address that shortcoming. “We have a program in place where the boys are taught the basics in fielding techniques from the under 19 age group so that they will ready when they reach the senior level.

There is no quick fix to it. Fielding also includes speed, agility and fitness,” said Ford.

Bangladesh open their tour with a two-day warm-up game at Moratuwa on March 2 and 3 before moving to the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle starting on March 7.

The Selection Committee met on 5 June at P. Sara to decide on the composition of the team. SSC’s Jeffrey Vandersay and Badureliya’s Kasun Rajitha are the only new faces in the squad.
Board President’s XI members are: Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Upul Tharanga, Jehan Mubarak, Dinesh Chandimal (Captain), Milinda Siriwardene, Niroshan Dickwella, Vishwa Fernando, Nisala Tharaka, Kasun Rajitha, Jeffrey Vandersay, Dhananjaya de Silva, Malinda Pushpakumara, Binura Fernando