Captain Litton Das led from the front first with bat and then marshalled his troops really well as Bangladesh trounced Sri Lanka by 83 runs to level the 3-match series at 1-1. Put into bat first, Bangladesh rode on Litton Das‘ 76 off 50 balls supported by Towhid Hridoy (31 off 25) and Shamim Hossain (48 off 27) to put up a challenging 177/7 on the board in the first innings.
In reply, Sri Lanka lost wickets at regular intervals with no one really getting going. They lost 4 in the powerplay and kept on losing that to be bundled out for 94 in 15.2 overs with Rishad Hossain getting 3/18 in 3.2 overs and the pace bowlers Shoriful Islam and Mohammed Saifuddin picking 2 wickets apiece. Mustafizur Rahman and Mehidy Hasan Miraz got a wicket apiece. Bangladesh made 3 changes in the game and got the job done on the night.
Litton Das leads Bangladesh’s fightback and posts a competitive score
Bangladesh did not get off to the best possible start after being sent into bat first as they lost their opener Parvez Hossain Emon for a bronze duck to Nuwan Thushara as the bowler knocked Emon over with a nip backer which he tried to drive straight down the ground and missed it. His opening partner also did not last long as Tanzid Hasan fell for 5 off 8 balls to Binura Fernando. The batter chased a length delivery shaping away outside off and got the thick outside edge to short third man where Kusal Perera leapt to his right and took a good tumbling catch as Bangladesh were reduced to 7/2 in 2 overs.
Towhid Hridoy joined Litton Das in the middle and the duo started rebuilding proceedings slowly. Hridoy targeted Dasun Shanaka in the 4th over of the innings and hit him for a six and a boundary to give Bangladesh momentum. Litton was playing the waiting game, and he also hit Binura Fernando for a maximum over long-on as Bangladesh ended the powerplay at 39/2 in 6 overs.
Runs came in singles and twos in the initial part of the middle overs before Litton got hold of Shanaka and hit him for a maximum in the 9th over. Litton got a reprieve as a stumping opportunity went begging from Kusal Mendis off the bowling of Jeffrey Vandersay. Hridoy hit a boundary off Vandersay as Bangladesh reached 69/2 in 10 overs at the halfway stage, having the platform and wickets in hand to launch in the death overs.
Binura Fernando finally broke the 69-run stand off 55 balls as Towhid Hridoy fell for 31 off 25 balls with 2 fours and a six to his name. The hard length ball with pace off, Hridoy looked to cut and got an outside edge down to short third man as Kusal Perera took a simple catch as Bangladesh lost their third wicket for 76 runs in 11.1 overs.
Binura had two in the over as Mehidy Hasan Miraz could not trouble the scores and went for 1. The slower delivery from the bowler, Mehidy shuffled across and went for the scoop and it went to the right of Nuwan Thushara who took the catch at short fine leg. Bangladesh were suddenly reduced to 78/4 in 11.4 overs.
Shamim Hossain came and joined his skipper in the middle and showed great intent from the word go. Both the players started complimenting each other really well and mixed caution with aggression as boundaries started to come for Bangladesh. The Tigers brought up their 100 in 13.4 overs. Soon, Litton Das completed his maiden fifty in 13 T20I innings with a maximum off Theekshana as he took 39 balls in getting to the milestone. At the end of 15 overs, Bangladesh were 115/4 and looking set to go big in the death overs.
Litton Das got another reprieve in the 16th over as Maheesh Theekshana dropped him at long-off and Das added salt to the wounds by hitting a maximum to end that over. Shamim took on Thushara in the next over hitting him for a boundary and a six off consecutive balls as the momentum was firmly with Bangladesh as they got 40 off the last 3 overs to get to 141 on the board in 17 overs. Binura was also not spared next over as Shamim hit him for a boundary while Litton hit him for a maximum as runs were flowing for the visitors.
Sri Lanka finally saw the back of Litton Das as Maheesh Theekshana got him at the start of the 19th over. Litton tried to hit the good length ball angling at leg stump by heaving to the leg side and is hurried by the pace. He got a leading edge towards short third man as Thushara took the catch as Litton fell for 76 off 50 balls with one four and five sixes to his name as the 77-run stand off 39 balls was broken.
Jaker Ali came in next while Shamim continued his valuable knock under pressure. Shamim hit a six off the second ball off the 19th over bowled by Thushara. Bangladesh looked to finish on a high.
A flurry of wickets fell in the end via run outs. First Jaker Ali was run out trying to steal a single against the keeper while Shamim himself fell next ball for 48 off 27 balls laced with 5 fours and 2 sixes to his name as another attempted single resulted in another run out. Mohammad Saifuddin came in and hit a brace and a boundary through the covers as Bangladesh ended with 177/7 in 20 overs. 7 extras given by the fielding side.
The Sri Lankan bowlers had a mixed day in the field. Binura Fernando was the pick of the bowlers finishing with figures of 3/31 in 4 overs. He was ably supported by his new ball partner Nuwan Thushara who finished with 1/30 in 4 overs. Maheesh Theekshana finished with 1/30 in 4 overs. No wickets for Dasun Shanaka, Jeffrey Vandersay and Chamika Karunaratne last night and they were expensive as well to a degree. This meant Sri Lanka needed 178 to win the match and seal the series with a game to spare.
Rishad Hossain headlines all-round Bangladesh bowling performance to level series
Sri Lankan openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis came out to bat in pursuit of 178. Kusal hit Shoriful Islam for a boundary off the third ball off the innings as it was a full toss on the middle stump. Pathum Nissanka hit a maximum to Saifuddin while Kusal hit a boundary to complete 2000 runs in T20Is becoming the second Sri Lankan to reach there after Kusal Perera. But Kusal Mendis joy was shortlived as he was run out the next ball trying to sneak a single by hitting at point. Shamim Hossain knocked the stumps down at the bowler’s end as Bangladesh had an early scalp.
The wickets started to fall in more regularity as Kusal Perera was the next to go as he checked his cut shot and hit Shoriful straight to cover point as Rishad Hossain took the catch. Perera departed for a four ball duck as Sri Lanka were 21/2 in the third over. Avishka Fernando got a reprieve off the bowling of Mustafizur Rahman as the short midwicket fielder dropped a tough chance. Avishka’s luck soon ran out as Shoriful got his man.
It was a fuller length delivery on the pads, Avishka whipped it away straight into the hands of deep backward square leg where Shamim Hossain made no mistake. Captain Charith Asalanka walked out at the fall of the 3rd wicket and hit a boundary off Shoriful to get going. But Saifuddin got his man thanks to the brilliant use of DRS as Charith looked to squeeze it away and gets the outside edge through to the keeper. The decision was reversed and Sri Lanka lost their 4th in the powerplay. Dasun Shanaka came in and got a boundary away as the hosts were in all sorts of trouble at 37/4 after the first 6 overs needing all to do in the middle and death overs.
Runs came in singles in the middle overs as Shanaka and Nissanka decided to rebuild the innings for their side. Nissanka finally broke the shackles by hitting a rare loose ball from Rishad for a boundary. Shanaka also swept Mehidy Hasan Miraz hard and got a boundary as well in the 10th over. Sri Lanka were reeling at 67/4 in 10 overs at the halfway stage and needed a further 111 off 60 balls.
Nissanka hit Rishad for a boundary, but the leg spinner had the last laugh as off the very next ball, he got rid of the set batter Nissanka. Rishad bowled a good length leg break turning away outside off, Nissanka danced down the track and looked to push it towards covers but gets beaten in the flight with the keeper Litton Das doing the rest as Nissanka fell for 32 off 29 balls with 2 fours and a six to his name as Sri Lanka lost half their side for 71 in the 11th over.
Rishad got another in the over as Chamika Karunaratne came and went for a silver duck. Fuller leg break on the stumps, Chamika looked to flick it away but closes the bat face a little too early and gets the leading edge back to the bowler. It was a soft dismissal as Sri Lanka were now 71/6 in 10.4 overs.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz joined in on the wicket-taking act as he got rid of the other set batter, Dasun Shanaka. Flighted delivery fuller in length around off-stump, Shanaka went down on one knee to slog sweep it away and got a top edge towards forward square leg and Tanzid Hasan took a safe regulation catch. The score was 73/7 and as good as over. Jeffrey Vandersay hit a maximum off Miraz to have some fun out there. But he too fell to Saifuddin trying to ramp a knuckle ball on hard length as Mustafizur ran back from short fine leg and took a good catch. Bangladesh were all over the hosts reducing them to 83/8 in 12.5 overs.
Binura Fernando hit a rare boundary off Mustafizur Rahman. But the Fizz had his man as he dismissed Theekshana in the last ball of the 15th over. The good length delivery angling outside off, Theekshana goes for a cover drive and gets a faint outside edge to Litton Das. The skipper and keeper batter took it cleanly low inches from the ground as Theekshana went for 6. Sri Lanka were now 9 down for 93 in 15 overs with Thushara and Binura at the crease.
The winning moment for Bangladesh finally came from Rishad Hossain who got his third wicket of the night. He dismissed Binura Fernando. Fuller than good length delivery outside off as Binura drives at it and gets completely beaten on the flight. Litton Das takes the bails off as the TV umpire saw that the batter’s foot was up in the air. OUT loaded on the big screen as Bangladesh won by 83 runs which is their second biggest win in terms of runs. Sri Lanka bowled out for 94 in 15.2 overs. 7 extras given by the visitors.
It was a great bowling performance by Bangladesh bowlers led by Rishad Hossain who finished with figures of 3/18 in 3.2 overs. Shoriful Islam bowled well for his 2/12 in 3 overs. Mohammed Saifuddin chipped in with 2/21 in 3 overs. Mustafizur Rahman finished with miserly figures of 1/14 in 3 overs. There was also a wicket for Mehidy Hasan Miraz who finished with 1/26 in 3 overs. The series is level at 1-1 with the decider set to be played in Colombo.
What Lies Ahead.
The stage is set for the decider in Colombo on the 16th of July. It is the last match of this Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka as well. It will be interesting to see who gets the bragging rights in the T20IS. Sri Lanka won the Test Series and ODIS. Can Bangladesh win the T20I series?
Only time will tell as the action shifts to the capital of Sri Lanka. Can the Lankan Lions complete all series wins against Bangladesh? Or will Bangladesh win this T20I series and end the series on a high? We shall find out soon on the 16th of July.
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