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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Williamson and Ross Taylor, determined not to run out of time, batted at more than 6.0 an over in their 163-run third wicket partnership with New Zealand chasing down a 217-run target.

The New Zealand skipper finished unbeaten on 104 with Taylor out for 60 and Henry Nicholls not out four.

Bangladesh were in command for nearly four days, until their second innings lasted less than 58 overs to end at 160-9 and captain Mushfiqur Rahim in hospital after being felled by a Tim Southee bouncer.

It was a disappointing sequel to their imposing first innings of 595-8 declared, presenting them with the unwanted record of the highest ever score in the first innings to lose a Test.

The previous mark was set more than 120 years ago, when Australia scored 586 against England at the Sydney cricket ground in 1894.

New Zealand made a shaky start to their run chase with first innings centurion Tom Latham out for 16 and fellow opener Jeet Raval for 13, both removed by off-spinner Mehedi Hasan in the space of eight balls.

But Williamson and Taylor were unruffled on a warm Wellington afternoon that was a far cry from the blustery first day when Bangladesh batted positively on a green wicket.

Williamson brought up his century — levelling the scores with a sweep off Mehedi to the boundary — before ending the game with a single off the next ball.

Bangladesh resumed the final day at 66-3 and were in early trouble when Shakib Al Hasan, whose 217 in the first innings is a record high score for a Bangladesh batsman, lasted only five balls before going for a duck.

Mominul Haque, who has two centuries to his name in five previous innings against New Zealand, was removed this time for 23.

At 96-5, Sabbir Rahman and Mushfiqur added 18 runs in 16 overs in the face of a torrid attack from the New Zealand pace trio of Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner.

Mushfiqur, who had been unable to field for Bangladesh during New Zealand’s first innings 539, was forced to duck repeatedly under a barrage of bouncers until a ball hit the back of his helmet.

He lay prone on the wicket, attended by medical staff from both teams until an ambulance drove on to the field and took him to hospital. He was later given the all-clear.

Opener Imrul Kayes, who was stretchered off and taken to hospital late on the fourth day with a hip injury, hobbled to the crease at the fall of the seventh wicket.

Unable to run, he relied on boundaries to be 36 not out when the innings ended.

Boult finished with three for 53 while Wagner and spinner Mitchell Santner took two wickets each.

The second Test starts in Christchurch Friday.

Ajinkya Rahane chipped in with 98 as India ended the heavily-curtailed third day’s play at 462 for six in their first innings at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali stadium.
Just 47.3 overs were sent down during another wet, miserable day that had begun brightly, allowing India to add 223 runs to their total of 239 for no loss on the first day.

With only 56 of the stipulated 90 overs bowled on the opening day and the entire second day’s play washed out, the match is headed for a draw. More rain has been forecast for the last two days.
But the brief spell of play on Friday saw dominant batting from Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan, who carried their opening partnership to 283, before Rahane boosted the total.
Left-arm spinner Shakib was the lone bowler to make an impression on the slow pitch with figures of four for 105. Leg-spinner Jubair Hossain claimed the other two wickets.
Play started on time under sunny skies and India moved to 398 for three by the end of the extended morning session.
Shakib broke the double-century opening stand when Dhawan mistimed an on-drive and lobbed an easy return catch to the bowler.
Left-handed Dhawan, who started the day on 150, took his score to 173, which included 23 hits to the fence.
In his next over, Shakib bowled Rohit Sharma for six as India slid from 283-0 to 291-2.
It soon became 310-3 when Jubair forced skipper Virat Kohli to drag a ball on to his stumps after the batsman had made 14.
But Rahane thwarted Bangladesh by adding 114 for the fourth wicket on either side of the lunch break.
The rain-shortened second session saw just 10.3 overs of play in which India added 64 runs and lost three wickets.
Shakib trapped Vijay leg-before after the break and also bowled Rahane, while Jubair dismissed Wriddhiman Saha for six.
Vijay hit 12 boundaries and a six in his sixth Test century.
Rahane missed his fourth hundred by two runs when he was bowled attempting a pull shot after smashing the previous two deliveries for boundaries.
When stumps were drawn after the scheduled tea break, Ravichandran Ashwin was unbeaten on two and Harbhajan Singh was on seven.
The two sides are due to play three one-day internationals in Dhaka after the Test