March 10, 2018
Brief Scorecard: Bangladesh 215 for 5 (Mushfiqur 72*, Tamim 47, Liton 43, Pradeep 2-37) beat Sri Lanka 214 for 6 (Kusal Perera 74, Kusal Mendis 57, Mustafizur 3-48) by five wickets
March 10, 2018
Brief Scorecard: Bangladesh 215 for 5 (Mushfiqur 72*, Tamim 47, Liton 43, Pradeep 2-37) beat Sri Lanka 214 for 6 (Kusal Perera 74, Kusal Mendis 57, Mustafizur 3-48) by five wickets
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA – Mushfiqur Rahim led a fantastic batting effort to help Bangladesh pick up a five-wicket win – their first of the three-nation Twenty20 Nidahas Trophy tournament – to pip Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday (March 10).
Sent in to bat, Sri Lanka rode on Kusal Perera’s solid knock to post a big total of 214 for 6, but Bangladesh scripted a clinical chase to get over the line in 19.4 overs.
It was always going to be a difficult chase, but Tamim Iqbal (47 off 29 balls) and Liton Das (43 off 19 balls) gave Bangladesh just the start they were looking for. By the sixth over, Bangladesh had racked up 74 runs without any loss.
After the initial assault, both openers fell in quick succession. But when Tamim returned a catch to Thisara Perera in the 10th over, the scoreboard read 100 for 2.
The batsmen who came in next also got good starts. Soumya Sarkar hit 24 off 22 balls and Mahmudullah chipped in with 20 off 11 balls, but it was Mushfiqur’s unbeaten 72 off 35 balls that kept Bangladesh in the hunt throughout the pursuit. The veteran batsman kept fighting, despite some wickets going down at the other end.
With nine runs needed off the final over, and Mushfiqur in prime touch, Bangladesh looked well on course to win the context. A boundary off the second ball all but ensured the result for Bangladesh, and a limping Mushfiqur took a single off the fourth delivery before erupting in wild celebrations.
Earlier, sent in to bat, Sri Lanka got off to a strong start, despite losing Dhanushka Gunathilaka (26 off 19) early in the day. Kusal, who joined Kusal Mendis in the middle once the first wicket went down in the fifth over, played the main role for Sri Lanka to keep the scoreboard ticking at a quick pace.
The duo stitched together a second-wicket partnership of 85 off 53 balls, while continuously attacking the Bangladesh bowlers. Both batsmen hit half centuries before Mahmudullah dismissed Mendis and Dasun Shanaka in the 14th over.
The scoring rate took a hit for a bit, with Dinesh Chandimal also falling for two runs off four balls. The scoreboard read 150 for 4 in 15 overs, but Kusal continued to attack.
Kusal hit eight boundaries and two sixes in his knock of 74 from 48 balls, and Upul Tharanga scored an unbeaten 32 in 15 balls (four fours, one six) to make sure Sri Lanka went past the 200-run mark.
Mustafizur Rahman, who returned figures of 3 for 48, gave away 16 runs in the 20th over despite picking up two wickets, letting Sri Lanka end with a total that would have pleased the dressing room at the halfway mark. In the end however, it didn’t prove enough to restrict Bangladesh.
Courtesy/Source: Wisden India
