Sri Lanka clinched the must-win game against Bangladesh by 2 wickets to seal their place in the Super 4s of the Asia Cup alongside Afghanistan and India.
It was an absolute humdinger of a game that saw the result seesawing between the sides, before Sri Lanka finally hung on in the last over.
Things started well for Dasun Shanaka and his men, when he won the toss and unsurprisingly opted to have a bowl – the record in Dubai heavily favouring the side chasing.
Bangladesh, who had opted to bench both their openers from the previous game, came out all guns blazing though, with Mehedy Hassan playing a fabulous hand as opener, despite never having done the job in International Cricket before. The right-hander’s 38 off 26 gave the Tigers exactly the kind of start they needed, as they cruised through the power play with 55 runs.
Despite his dismissal, the Bangladesh run-rate did not waver as they showed great intent and continued to play aggressive cricket. Brilliant cameos from Afif and Mosaddek Hossain eventually carried them to their highest total in the UAE – 183 – Sri Lanka needing the 2nd highest chase at the venue to get over the line.
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Crucially, the Bangladeshis went after Sri Lanka’s top gun, Wanindu Hasaranga, who went for 41 off his 4 overs, while debutant Asitha Fernando ended with the worst figures by a Sri Lankan on debut (1/51) despite picking up a wicket in his 1st over.
Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka started slow but a couple of sixes from either ones bat got them going. They looked well on course to end the power play in grand style but Ebadot Hossain, Bangladesh’s debutant had his own plans, dismissing both Nissanka and Charith Asalanka in the 6th over – his 1st in T20Is.
Things went from bad to worse for Sri Lanka as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals, slumping to 77/4 in the 9th over, before Mendis and Dasun Shanaka came together.
Mendis looked in fine touch but had more than his fair share of good luck, surviving at least 4 chances – caught off a no-ball, a dropped catch, a run-out and a non-review of a catch behind.
His dismissal saw the arrival of Hasaranga, who once again disappointed with the bat, but Shanaka was going great guns at the other end, knowing that Bangladesh’s bowling line-up meant that there would be an opportunity to pounce when the spinners came on.
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However, despite looking in brilliant touch, he too lost his wicket before getting the job done and when Chamika Karunaratne was run-out in the penultimate over of the game, trying to steal a single, things seemed to have swung decidedly onto Bangladesh’s side.
However, in an unexpected turn of events, Asitha Fernando 4 over cover off the last delivery of the penultimate over and then smashed one through mid-wicket in the last over to bring the equation down to 3 off 4 deliveries.
Another straight hit saw Sri Lanka run two to level the scores before the sirens sounded, signalling another no-ball from Mahedi Hassan and giving Sri Lanka a nail-biting win.
Bangladesh were brilliant in the field, with Taskin Ahamed in particular taking a couple of brilliant catches in the deep, however, it was their indiscipline with the bowling that cost them, as they gave away 4 no balls and 8 wides – one of those no balls costing them a wicket.
Sri Lanka now move through to the Super 4s, where even stiffer challenges await in the shape of Afghanistan, India and whichever team takes the final group stage game tomorrow – Pakistan or Hong Kong.
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mehidy Hasan Miraz | b Wanidu Hasaranga | 38 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 146.15 |
| Sabbir Rahaman | c Kusal Mendis b Asitha Fernando | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 83.33 |
| Shakib Al Hasan (vc) | b Maheesh Theekshana | 24 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 109.09 |
| Mushfiqur Rahim | c Kusal Mendis b Chamika Karunaratne | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 80.00 |
| Afif Hossain | c Wanidu Hasaranga b Dilshan Madushanka | 39 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 177.27 |
| Mahmudullah | c Chamika Karunaratne b Wanidu Hasaranga | 27 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 122.73 |
| Mosaddek Hossain | not out | 24 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 266.67 |
| Mahedi Hasan | lbw b Chamika Karunaratne | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Taskin Ahmed | not out | 11 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 183.33 |
| Extras | 10 (b 4 , lb 6 , nb 0, w 0, pen 0) |
| Total | 183/7 (20 Overs, RR: 9.15) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dilshan Madushanka | 4 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 6.50 | |
| Maheesh Theekshana | 4 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 5.75 | |
| Asitha Fernando | 4 | 0 | 51 | 1 | 12.75 | |
| Wanidu Hasaranga | 4 | 0 | 41 | 2 | 10.25 | |
| Chamika Karunaratne | 4 | 0 | 32 | 2 | 8.00 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | c Mustafizur Rahman b Ebadot Hossain | 20 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 105.26 |
| Kusal Mendis | c Taskin Ahmed b Mustafizur Rahman | 60 | 37 | 4 | 3 | 162.16 |
| Charith Asalanka | c Mahmudullah b Ebadot Hossain | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Dhanushka Gunathilake | c Taskin Ahmed b Ebadot Hossain | 11 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 183.33 |
| Bhanuka Rajapaksa | c Sabbir Rahaman b Taskin Ahmed | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Dasun Shanaka | c Mosaddek Hossain b Mahedi Hasan | 45 | 33 | 3 | 2 | 136.36 |
| Wanidu Hasaranga | c Mahedi Hasan b Taskin Ahmed | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Chamika Karunaratne | run out (Shakib Al Hasan (vc)) | 16 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 160.00 |
| Maheesh Theekshana | not out | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Asitha Fernando | not out | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 333.33 |
| Extras | 17 (b 0 , lb 5 , nb 4, w 8, pen 0) |
| Total | 184/8 (19.2 Overs, RR: 9.52) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustafizur Rahman | 4 | 0 | 32 | 1 | 8.00 | |
| Taskin Ahmed | 4 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 6.00 | |
| Shakib Al Hasan | 4 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 7.75 | |
| Ebadot Hossain | 4 | 0 | 51 | 3 | 12.75 | |
| Mahedi Hasan | 2.2 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 13.64 | |
| Mehidy Hasan Miraz | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11.00 | |
