Sri Lanka look to keep Bangladesh batters 'under pressure'

Sri Lanka coach Chris Silverwood on Friday said their bowlers have made specific plans to keep the Bangladesh batsmen "under pressure" in their Super Four clash of the Asia Cup.

Bangladesh's batting faltered in two of the three matches of the 50-over tournament, a precursor to the upcoming ODI World Cup in India.

The Bangla Tigers take on Sri Lanka in Colombo on Saturday in a must-win match to keep their hopes high of reaching the final, after they lost their Super Four opener to Pakistan.

Shakib Al Hasan's team were bowled for 194 against Pakistan in Lahore, but their bowlers led by Taskin Ahmed fought to get three Pakistan wickets.

"I have been very impressed with them, particularly their pace bowlers. They are strong, accurate and get movement," Silverwood said of the Bangladesh quicks.

"From the Bangladesh batting perspective, we have to make sure to keep them under pressure. We know they haven't got runs, but we know what they are capable of getting -- and give them that respect. Try and apply the pressure and get the wickets."

Silverwood added: "We analyse each batsman and each bowler makes different plans for each batsman."

Sri Lanka survived a big scare by Afghanistan before they sneaked into the Super Fours with a narrow win which witnessed a miscalculation drama.

Afghanistan believed they needed to chase down their target of 292 in 37.1 overs to lift their net run-rate, but the analysts pointed to different numbers when they neared the target.

Silverwood said it remains a "watershed moment" for all the teams to take a lesson to view run-rates and calculations.

Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha remains confident about his team's chances in the next two matches.

"We have to play in different conditions from the past two games against different opposition, so it's a big challenge for us," said Hathurusingha, a former Sri Lankan all-rounder.

"But we are much more capable of what we have shown. The inconsistency is the one that we have to address and look forward to put on a good show." (AFP)