Dhaka: It has been six months since Zimbabwe came back from being 2-1 down to win 3-2 in an ODI series in Sri Lanka, before pushing the hosts all the way in the solitary Test.

All the main performers from that ODI series will be available for both sides as they face off in the tri-series in what will be the 100th ODI to be played in Mirpur on Wednesday (today).

Zimbabwe have already lost one game, trounced by the hosts Bangladesh by eight wickets, on Monday.

Their batsmen didn’t turn up as they got bowled out for 170. Only Sikandar Raza and Peter Moor seemed to offer stability before their partnership ended in a run-out.

Zimbabwe will need a lot more from Hamilton Masakadza, Brendon Taylor, Graeme Cremer and Kyle Jarvis, to start with, reports ESPNCricinfo.

On tacky Mirpur pitches, it would be important for batting sides to keep wickets intact and then go for broke in the last 10 overs.

Sri Lanka have the required firepower down the order, with the likes of Thisara Perera, Niroshan Dickwella and Asela Gunaratne in charge of batting in the slog overs.

But Sri Lanka also have much more than big-hitters; there’s the experience of Upul Tharanga at the top, followed by comeback man Dinesh Chandimal and the new (so to speak) limited-overs captain Angelo Mathews. These old hands will be required to provide stability.

Sri Lanka are also going to be playing their first match under coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who got plenty of good results as Bangladesh’s head coach from 2014 to 2017. If that success rubs off on his new team, Sri Lanka are in for an interesting tri-series ahead.

In the spotlight

With scores of 49 and 95 in his last three ODIs, Upul Tharanga will definitely have a say in how Sri Lanka start the game. He has also scored a hundred and three fifties at this ground, having played a lot of domestic cricket in Bangladesh.

Solomon Mire will have great memories playing against Sri Lanka, after his century helped Zimbabwe with a big chase in last year’s ODI series. But he hasn’t been in sparkling form of late, having got three ducks in his last six competitive matches.