Sri Lanka 287 for 7 (Nissanka 114, Asalanka 91, Shoriful 2-49, Taskin 2-49) won Bangladesh 286 for 7 (Hridoy 96*, Sarkar 68, Hasaranga 4-45) with three wickets
Bangladesh’s fighting spirit brought the game close, but they were also helped by the indecisiveness and doubt shown by the Sri Lankan batting unit. While the eventual margin of victory – three wickets and 17 balls to spare – suggests a relatively comfortable victory, Sri Lanka somehow had the position of defeat from the jaws of victory when they briefly slumped from 228 for 3 to 251 for 6 .
But any lingering nerves were settled when Hasaranga finally took matters into his own hands to hit two sixes and a four in the space of five deliveries to kill the game. He fell with only two to reach, leaving Wellalage to secure the winning runs.
Set a target of 287, Sri Lanka had slumped to 43 for 3 when Nissanka and Asalanka came together, and after an early spell of luck where some edges and errors ended up safe, they went to work.
Nissanka – Asalanka
The partnership that will carry Sri Lankan cricket for years to come.#BANvSL— Lasith Malinga (@malinga_ninety9) March 15, 2024
While keeping the required percentage in check through her stand, Nissanka finished with a 114-ball 113 while Asalanka’s 91 came in 93 balls. Their dismissals within eight deliveries of each other were not ideal, but looking back, they had done enough.
Hridoy, who had come into bat in the 13th over, finished unbeaten on 96 off 102, an innings and strike rate that belied the acceleration he provided at the death to bolster an innings that looked in danger of losing steam. Along with Taskin Ahmed, whose 18 off 10 also provided excellent support, the pair put on 50 off just 23 deliveries as Bangladesh scored 80 off the last ten overs – 54 of which came in the final five.
Before that, Hasaranga – who had gone wicketless last time out – had threatened to derail Bangladesh’s efforts by grabbing four wickets for 45 runs. Dilshan Madushanka also proved instrumental by grabbing two early wickets, and also completed a superb catch in the deep to dismiss Sarkar. But worryingly for Sri Lanka (and perhaps even Mumbai Indians in the IPL), Madusanka left the field in the middle of the seventh, clutching his left hamstring.
Indeed, Madushanka was key to Sri Lanka’s early attack, removing Litton Das and the dangerous Shanto – who had been dismissed twice earlier, first by a missed chance and second by Sri Lanka’s failure to review a caught behind – before giving the moment to field the game to dismiss Sarkar.
After Sarkar nailed a reverse sweep from Hasaranga that was destined for the ropes, Madushanka raced to his right and pounced on the ball taking an incredible catch with both hands in full flight. Sarkar stood there in disbelief while the shouts of jubilation from Hasaranga gave an insight into the paste he had suffered at the hands of Sarkar in the first place.
One scalp brought two as a moment of madness from Mahmudullah saw him charge Hasaranga and spin around a googly to be miles away. That meant Bangladesh had suddenly slumped from 130 for 2 to 130 for 4, and Hridoy and Mushfiqur Rahim found themselves in a tough spot, but they excelled with their 57-ball stand of 43.
But just as Mushfiqur started to shift gears, Hasaranga struck once again. A tossing leg break on leg stump saw Mushfiqur miss a sweep and the resulting appeal was as loud as it was long. But with umpire Masudur Rahman unmoved, Sri Lanka went for the review, which justified its excitement with three reds.
When Hasaranga dismissed Mehndi Hasan Mirage a couple of overs later, Bangladesh suddenly risked faltering at their crucial moment – just as Sri Lanka had done two days earlier – but Tanzim Hasan Shakib’s 33-ball 18 proved a capable and stubborn deputy, holding up one end as Hridoy held the scoreboard. Hridoy and Taskin provided the final flourish to bring Bangladesh into a competitive total but unfortunately for the hosts it was not enough.