The bowlers put up a fantastic performance for a significant period of time, but they couldn’t contain Sri Lanka’s Samarawickrama.
Sri Lanka scored 21 runs more than Bangladesh in the Super Four match of the Asia Cup in Colombo on Saturday. While Bangladesh had a good start in their batting, the top order failed to capitalize. There was hope for a partnership between Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, but it couldn’t last till the end.
At the beginning of the match, Sri Lanka batted first, losing 9 wickets and scoring 257 runs. Bangladesh, in response, lost 11 wickets in just 11 overs and managed to score only 3 runs.
The start of Bangladesh’s innings was promising. They hadn’t lost any wickets in the powerplay after nine matches, and they had scored 47 runs. While Mehedi Hasan Miraz was contributing with the ball, Naeem Sheikh struggled to score despite having a partnership with Mehedi.
Miraz, unfortunately, got out in a straightforward manner. Going for a short ball by Dasun Shanaka, he managed to catch it easily at midwicket, scoring 28 runs off 29 balls. Naeem Sheikh, who was struggling throughout his innings, also got out in an unimpressive manner. Trying to pull a short ball by Shanaka, he gave an easy catch to the keeper’s hands, scoring 21 runs off 46 balls. The innings ended at 46 overs with 21 runs.
After that, the responsibility fell on Shakib Al Hasan and Liton Das, but they couldn’t perform well. Shakib, in particular, struggled and eventually got out. He tried to play a shot down the leg side, and even though the ball touched the glove and went to the wicketkeeper’s gloves, the umpire didn’t give him out. Sri Lanka decided to review, and they got the decision in their favor. Shakib scored 3 runs off 7 balls.
Liton Das also got out in a somewhat similar fashion, falling victim to the spinner. Trying to drive a ball outside off stump, he edged it to the wicketkeeper, ending his innings at 21 runs off 46 balls. After that, the responsibility rested with Mahmudullah and captain Dasun Shanaka. Their partnership started slowly but steadily grew. However, at a crucial moment, Mushfiqur Rahim got out while trying to attack Shanaka. He went for a pull shot but easily caught at mid-off, ending his 72-run innings after facing 122 balls.
After Mushfiqur’s dismissal, Shamiul Patwari came in as the last recognized batsman. However, he couldn’t perform well, scoring 5 runs off 10 balls and getting bowled by Mahesh Thikshana. After Patwari’s dismissal, it was left to Tawhid Hridoy to carry the team forward. However, he also couldn’t last until the end of the innings.
Even before getting out, Hridoy had hit a free-hit ball for a six. But when the next ball touched his pad, the umpire gave him out, and despite reviewing, the decision was upheld. Hridoy walked off the field with his head down, scoring 20 runs off 29 balls. The last wicket partnership between Mahmud and Nasum Ahmed raised some hopes for Bangladesh. They added 20 runs in 12 balls. However, Nasum Ahmed was bowled, and Sri Lanka won the match by 21 runs.
Before Bangladesh’s innings, Sri Lanka’s batting had a decent start, but Bangladesh’s bowlers were impressive. Taskin Ahmed bowled the first over and the umpire raised his finger, but Sri Lanka successfully reviewed the decision.
In the sixth over, Hasan Mahmud bowled brilliantly, taking three wickets in two balls. He got Dimuth Karunaratne’s catch behind the wicket with a great delivery. Then, in the next over, he bowled Dasun Shanaka, and Sri Lanka was struggling at 43 runs for 5 wickets. Despite this, Sri Lanka managed to post a reasonable total of 176 runs, with a significant contribution from Samarawickrama.
Bangladesh’s pacers, led by Taskin, did a great job against Sri Lanka’s batsmen. Nasum and Shakib were giving away runs at one end, while the pacers took wickets at the other. Taskin Ahmed, in particular, bowled an impressive spell, taking three wickets in 10 overs while conceding 63 runs. Shariful Islam also contributed with two crucial wickets in his 4-over spell, giving away 48 runs. Hasan Mahmud, who bowled 9 overs, took three wickets for 57 runs. However, Bangladesh missed the services of a specialist spinner, and in his 10 overs, Shakib conceded 44 runs without taking any wickets. Miraz bowled 3 overs, conceding 14 runs, but he couldn’t take a wicket.
Despite a good start by the bowlers, Sri Lanka’s Samarawickrama played exceptionally well and carried his innings forward steadily. He was partnered by Dasun Shanaka, and their partnership was resilient despite some pressure. After losing five wickets for 43 runs, they added 43 runs in the next five overs, taking Sri Lanka to a competitive position. But then again, Bangladesh’s bowlers struck back.
In the 48th over, Shakib took the wicket of Dasun Shanaka for 11 runs. In the next over, Hasan Mahmud bowled brilliantly, taking four wickets in that over alone and ending with figures of 5 runs off 46 balls. In that over, he got rid of Chamika Karunaratne, who had scored 6 fours and 1 six in his 72-ball innings.
Among Bangladesh’s pacers, Taskin was the standout performer, taking three wickets for 63 runs in his 10 overs. Shariful took two crucial wickets for 48 runs in his 4 overs, and Hasan Mahmud played a vital role with his 9 overs, taking three wickets for 57 runs. Shakib and Nasum went wicketless in their spells. Miraz, who bowled 3 overs, also couldn’t take any wickets.
Samarawickrama played a brilliant innings, scoring 72 runs off 60 balls, including 8 fours and 2 sixes. Among the Bangladeshi bowlers, Taskin bowled 10 overs, conceding 63 runs and taking three wickets. Shariful bowled 4 overs, conceding 48 runs and taking two wickets. Hasan Mahmud bowled 9 overs, conceding 57 runs and taking three wickets. Shakib bowled 10 overs, conceding 44 runs and taking no wickets, while Miraz bowled 3 overs, conceding 14 runs and taking no wickets.
Despite their best efforts, the Bangladeshi bowlers couldn’t prevent Sri Lanka from posting a challenging total, and in the end, Sri Lanka won the match comfortably.
