Precariously placed on 86 for four when Mohammad Ashraful (36) was caught at mid-off, Imran and Mashud added 90 runs for the fifth wicket.

The partnership allowed the visitors to post a respectable 226 run total, their highest ever score against Sri Lanka, giving them a fighting chance of forcing an unlikely victory.

The pair frustrated Sri Lanka’s bowlers, forcing captain Sanath Jayasuriya to chop and change his bowlers, recalling pace bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Dilhara Fernando before reverting back to his spinners.

The 18-year-old Imran reached the second fifty of his five-match ODI career from 75 balls with a lofted straight drive off Aravinda de Silva.

Muttiah Muralitharan, bowling his second spell, eventually snared the right-handed Imran as Russel Arnold pouched a top edged sweep 30 yards in from the deep square boundary (176 for five).

The wicket drew Muralitharan level with Aussie spinner Shane Warne with 278 ODI wickets, equal fourth highest wicket-taker in the limited overs game.

Tushar finished with 61 from 85 balls, hitting six fours.

The innings then fell away towards the close, the lower order unable to capitalise on the platform laid by Imran and Mashud.

Former captain Naimur Rahman was then run out for three by a laser-like throw from Chaminda Vaas, as he attempted an extra run following an overthrow from Dilhara Fernando (192 for six).

Mashud, meanwhile, held the innings together with a gutsy, workmanlike innings, reaching his third ODI fifty from 66 balls.

Khaled Mahmud, one of three one-day specialists drafted into the Bangladesh side, scored nine from 11 balls before was bowled by an inswinging yorker from Dilhara Fernando (209 for seven).

Mashud fell two balls later, caught by his counterpart Jayasuriya at cover off the bowling of Gamage (209 for eight).

Mohammad Raffique, a powerful striker of the ball, and Tapash Baisya rounded of the innings with 12 runs off the final over.

Dilhara Fernando and Muralitharan finished the innings with two wickets apiece.

After 25 overs the visitors were 101 for four having boldly elected to bat first when they won the toss in the morning.

Al Sahariar and Mohammad Ashraful, used as an opener in the one-day game, added 38 for the first wicket.

The right-handed Al Sahariar was the most positive of the two, hitting five boundaries in his 37-ball 25.

But he was dismissed in the tenth over of the innings, caught behind when he chased a wide, full-length delivery from Dilhara Fernando.

Number three Habibul Bashar (2) looked uncomfortable against the pace of Dilhara Fernando, backing away to leg whenever Sri Lanka’s quickest bowler dropped short.

But it was debutante Chamila Lakshitha Gamage who claimed his wicket, as the right-hander pulled a short delivery onto his stumps.

Captain Sanath Jayasuriya then introduced young seamer Hasantha Fernando, who is being groomed as the side’s fast bowling all-rounder.

And the 22-year-old all-rounder grabbed his first international wicket in his second over, as Alok Kapali (2) edged a good length delivery to first slip.

Bangladesh, looking for only their fourth one-day win, were 62 for three.

Muttiah Muralitharan, needing three wickets to overtake Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne and become the fourth highest wicket-taker in one-day history, was introduced in the 19th over of the innings.

And he didn’t need long to take the key wicket of Ashraful, the teenager guilty of an over-ambitious shot against the off-spinner, as he danced down the wicket and tried to loft over mid-off.

Ashraful, who had swung two sixes over the leg-side, had scored 36 runs from 53 balls.

Bangladesh were 86 for four.

Jayasuriya introduced himself in the 24th over, bowling in tandem with Muralitharan.

Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya hinted that he would have preferred to bowl first anyhow, as the host picked a four pronged pace attack, including debutantes Chamila Lakshitha Gamage and all-rounder Hasantha Fernando.

The home team also recalled veteran Aravinda de Silva for the first time in 18 months. Sri Lanka’s highest run scorer in one-day internationals, the right-hander will bat at number six.

Muttiah Muralitharan plays his first ODO since dislocating his shoulder in Sharjah last April.

Bangladesh included all three one-day specialists who joined the squad last week, including former captain Naimur Rahman, all-rounder Khaled Mahmud and left-arm spinner Mohammad Raffique.

Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (Capt), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jaywardene, Russel Arnold, Aravinda de Silva, Hasantha Fernando, Chaminda Vaas, Chamila Lakshitha Gamage, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan Bangladesh:

Khaled Mashud (capt), Habibul Bashar, Al Sahariar, Mohamed Ashraful, Manjural Islam, Tushar Imran, Khaled Mahmud, Naimur Rahman, Mohammad Raffique, Tapash Baisya, Alok Kapali