Newly anointed Bangladesh ODI skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz was severely critical of his team's batting efforts after they succumbed 2-1 in Sri Lanka in his first assignment at the helm. The all-rounder urged his batters to stay out for longer when settled and emphasised the need to build stands.

‌Bangladesh fell short significantly in Pallekele on Tuesday when asked to chase 286 by Sri Lanka as they collapsed to 186 all out within 40 overs. The Tigers had begun the game well, taking three Lankan wickets for 100 runs, before Kusal Mendis (124) and Charith Asalanka (58) combined for 124 runs to take the hosts to a respectable total. In response, the Tigers lost three early wickets too and were on a similar trajectory as their rivals when skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz joined Towhid Hridoy at the crease in the 14th over. The duo stitched together 43 runs, but the captain succumbed trying to up the ante, following which the chase quickly lost steam despite a 27-run cameo from Jaker Ali.

"My dismissal put the team under pressure. I was trying to stay in touch with the run rate. I was looking for at least a boundary per over to meet the required run-rate. I didn't want to put that pressure on Towhid Hridoy.

I tried to take a calculated risk, but I couldn't execute that shot properly. If I had, it would have gone for six," Mehidy said after the game.

"When Hridoy and Jaker were batting together, I still believed we could win the game. We just couldn't put together partnerships like Sri Lanka. They had a big partnership after they lost three wickets for 100 runs. Partnerships in the middle overs are crucial. We got a couple of 40s, but winning is hard without these partnerships in ODI cricket. We are getting out soon after getting set.

We can't keep the momentum for too long. We have to work on it. When I was batting with Hridoy today, we nearly grabbed the momentum. Then I got out. Momentum is required for a partnership. Strike rotation is important in a partnership. We have to play more low-risk cricket, not the high-risk cricket we are playing," he added.

Bangladesh endured a similar storyline in the first gam, where they lost seven wickets for five runs when well on course to chase down the Lions' 245 and eventually lost by 77 runs. Even in the game that they won, Bangladesh were bowled out for 248 with 25 balls still to spare, albeit it proved to be a winning total.

"It is a concern for the team that we couldn't bat 50 overs [in any of the matches]. It would have helped us if we had batted properly. Our middle-order batters need to take more responsibility. I couldn't play a lot of balls, either. It would have been better [if I had done so]. We have a lot of room for improvement. We have a lot of cricket in front of us," Mehidy reflected.

This was Bangladesh's first assignment in nearly two decades without the services of their Fab Five -- Mashrafe Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, and Mushfiqur Rahim, the latter two the latest retirees.

The emerging transition has seen a new rank of aggressive batters emerge in the line-up, with the likes of Najmul Hossain Shanto, Parvez Hossain Emon, and Tanzid Hasan all natural strokemakers.

"We could have hit more fours and picked up more singles. It is also a matter of emotional control. Everyone likes to play cricket in certain ways. Our top order likes to play with a bit of risk. They like to find boundaries. I can't stop them. It will make the situation difficult for the team. We are trying to back every player's strength," the Bangladesh skipper concluded.