RECAP
Follow UsPathum Nissanka’s sizzling start
Sri Lanka lost Kusal Mendis in the third over itself, but they posted 53 runs in the powerplay thanks to some sparkling strokes from Pathum Nissanka. The right-hander remained unbeaten on 34* (18) at the end of the powerplay, smashing six boundaries.
Four of these boundaries came in the fifth over bowled by Shakib Al Hasan, which went for 16.
Rishad Hossain triggers a fatal Lankan collapse
At 100/3 after 14, Sri Lanka looked on course for 150. But then Rishad Hossain struck twice in two balls to remove the set Asalanka first, and then pinch-hitter Wanindu Hasaranga. Hossain bowled the 17th over too, and there he removed another set batter in Dhananjaya de Silva.
His triple strike triggered a brutal Lankan collapse. SL went from 100/3 in 14.0 to 124/9 at the end of 20 overs.
Nuwan Thushara’s lethal burst
Nuwan Thushara picked up from where he left in Sylhet (where he took a 5-fer) and rattled the Tigers in the powerplay. Chasing 125, Bangladesh lost Soumya Sarkar in the very first over against DDS. And then Thushara struck twice in the powerplay to reduce Bangladesh to 28/3.
At the end of the powerplay, Thushara’s figures read 3-0-15-2. Exactly the sort of new-ball burst SL needed.
Hridoy goes 6 6 6 6 vs Hasaranga
After 8.5 overs, Bangladesh were 52/3, needing 73 more off the remaining 67 balls. This became 33 needed off 51 balls in no time as Towhid Hridoy went 6 6 6 6 vs Hasaranga.
Across two overs, the right-hander hammered the world’s second-ranked bowler for four sixes. Three of these sixes came over mid-wicket. Hasaranga eventually got Hridoy, but the youngster, by then, had already done the damage.
Bangladesh overcome nerves to get over the line
It’s not a Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka game if there are no twists. This clash, too, had a twist towards the end. Just when it looked like Hridoy had killed the game, the Tigers lost five wickets in the space of six overs to get the Lankans right back into the contest. With 11 needed off two overs with two wickets in hand, Bangladesh were reeling at one point.
But Mahmudullah showed his experience and got the Tigers home eventually.
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