Sri Lanka had no answer to Najmul Hossain Shanto‘s career-best unbeaten 122 which powered Bangladesh to a six-wicket win in the first ODI in Chattogram. The home side won with 32 balls to spare despite losing three early wickets, as Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim added 165 runs for an unbroken fifth-wicket stand.
Mushfiqur gave Najmul Hossain Shanto good support scoring his 49th half-century, allowing the Bangladesh captain to dominate Sri Lanka. The pair at one stage went through 60 deliveries without hitting a boundary but that didn’t keep them from being ahead of the required rate. Their all-round show was first set up by the bowlers who restricted Sri Lanka to just 255 before an unbeaten hundred from skipper Najmul Hossain carried them home with 32 balls to spare.
Pitch and Toss
The pitch looks green, greener than Sylhet but it’s (grass) not as thick but its hard. I feel there will be bounce here. There’s a strong breeze blowing across so the groundsman feels there won’t be much dew. I think 275-280 would be a good score. There would be some turn and grip for the spinners.
Sri Lanka skipper Kusal Mendis won the toss and chose to bat . Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was happy chasing as dew was expected to come later.
Sri Lanka falters after steady start as Bangladesh bowlers took center stage.
In the afternoon, Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando gave Sri Lanka a rousing start, adding 71 runs for the opening wicket in 9.5 overs. The pair smashed ten fours and two sixes between them in Chattogram. Nissanka drove a couple of his fours over mid-off while Fernando threaded the square off-side field superbly.
Having been asked to bowl, the early momentum was against them. Sri Lanka’s openers began well putting on a 71-run stand before Tanzim Hasan Sakib struck twice in quick succession to get rid of both.
Kusal Mendis and Janith Liyanage propels Sri Lanka to 255 as Bangladesh bowlers pegs back.
With the well-set pair dismissed the visitors stuttered briefly before a 69-run stand between Kusal Mendis and Janith Liyanage rescued them. Both batters failed to carry on after getting to their fifties which allowed Bangladesh to stage a recovery at the business end of the game. Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed struck at regular intervals to clean up the lower order as Sri Lanka lost their last five for just 34 runs.
Tanzim, however, pegged Sri Lanka back. He broke through by removing both Nissanka and Fernando in consecutive overs and adding Sadeera Samarawickrama in the next over. He had Fernando and Samarawickrama caught behind, while Nissanka toe-ended an attempted pull to slip as Sri Lanka slipped from 71 for 1 to 84 for 3.
Mendis rebooted Sri Lanka’s innings with a polished fifty. He found an ally in Liyanage, who struck three fours and two sixes to top score with 67 off 69 balls. Liyanage ran out of partners when Mendis and Hasaranga fell in quick succession.
Bangladesh’s pacers hit back towards the end, particularly Taskin and Shoriful who never let the Sri Lanka batters settle. Tanzim couldn’t add to his initial burst of three wickets as he was injured for a while. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took the other wicket to fall, with a beauty of an off break to the left-handed Charith Asalanka. Sri Lanka reached 255 was down to half-centuries from Janith Liyanage and captain Kusal Mendis after they gave away a good start by their openers.
Sri Lanka reduced Bangladesh to 23 for 3 in the Powerplay before Najmul Hossain Shanto fightback
With dew coming in, the chase was relatively on the easier side but Bangladesh made good use of it with Najmul Hossain Shanto partnering Mushfiqur Rahim in an unbeaten 165-run stand in the chase for the fifth wicket. The partnership was even more significant because Bangladesh had been reduced to 23/3 at one point before the rebuild occurred.
Sri Lanka, however, fought back with the new ball. Litton Das was sent back first ball as he inside-edged Dilshan Madhushanka onto his stumps. Soumya Sarkar fell in Madhushanka second over when he top-edged a simple catch straight to Theekshana at square leg. Pramod Madhushanka then joined the party, removing Towhid Hridoy’s off-stump with a subtle outswinger as Bangladesh slipped to 23 for 3 in the sixth over.
Najmul Hossain Shanto’s career best 122* propels Bangladesh to victory over Sri Lanka
Immediate recovery came in the form of a Najmul Hossain Shanto-Mahmudullah fourth-wicket stand. Mahmudullah went after Madhushanka in the ninth over, clubbing him through the covers twice and then brushing him through point. After Shanto top-edged Lahiru Kumara for his first six, Mahmudullah blazed Wanindu Hasaranga for his first six too, in the next over.
Mahmudullah’s fall came swiftly though. Shortly after showing signs of cramps, he miscued a hoick towards deep midwicket where Madhushanka took a splendid catch with a full-length dive to his left.
At 92 for 4, Sri Lanka might have hoped for another opening, but they failed to make any further inroads with the dew also not helping them. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur struck six boundaries in the first seven overs of their partnership. Mushfiqur started with a sweep through square leg, before Najmul Hossain Shanto pounded Madushan down the ground and pulled him rapidly. Shanto soon reached his fifty off 51 balls
Even when Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur did not get the boundaries going, they kept the scoreboard ticking. Mushfiqur struck the boundary that broke the shackles in the 33rd over when he reverse-swept Hasaranga before slog-sweeping him for successive fours. Najmul Hossain Shanto brought up the hundred of the partnership with a swipe over midwicket, before Mushfiqur reached his half-century with a whip off the pads, both in the 35th over. It didn’t take Bangladesh long to romp home, getting over the line in 44.4 overs.
Their all-round show was first set up by the bowlers who restricted Sri Lanka to just 255 before an unbeaten hundred from skipper Najmul Hossain carried them home with 32 balls to spare. With dew coming in, the chase was relatively on the easier side but Bangladesh made good use of it with Najmul Hossain Shanto partnering Mushfiqur Rahim in an unbeaten 165-run stand in the chase for the fifth wicket.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Kusal Mendis the loosing captain said :
“Pathum and Avishka played well in the first 10 overs. The middle-order struggled and that’s why we couldn’t put a good score on the board. 280-plus would have been a good score, the dew came in after the 20th over. We bowled well initially but the dew came in and it became difficult to control the ball later,”
Najmul Hossain Shanto Player of the match for his century and Bangladesh winning skipper said :
“We know that with the new ball, it’s quite hard so I back my skill and take my time, later on the ball came well due to the dew. I believe in all the bowlers, the way Taskin and Shoriful came back today was great. The experience of Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur helps us a lot, Mushfiqur played well and I hope he will continue his form,”
Quite a convincing victory for Bangladesh! Perhaps, the decision to win the toss and bat first wasn’t a wise one and it certainly backfired on Sri Lanka. The Bangladeshi pacers made good use of the assistance that was available on the surface and shared 9 wickets amongst them. Bangladesh’s fielding was top notch as well. 255 was below-par on a decent batting surface but Madhushanka had other ideas. He got rid of Litton Das with a beauty as he started off with a wicket-maiden.
He then got rid of Soumya Sarkar in his next over with a short ball. Soon after, Madushan knocked Hridoy over with an in-angler. Bangladesh were stuttering at 23/3 but Shanto and Mahmudullah steadied the ship for them. The duo stitched 69 for the fourth wicket. The latter fell to the short ball ploy courtesy, Kumara and that provided another opening for the visitors.
But, the experience of Mushfiqur came into play and he provided able support to his skipper. The dew massively helped Bangladesh’s cause as the opposition bowlers found it difficult to control the wet ball. Both of them played some elegant shots and took the game away from Sri Lanka. Shanto scored a brilliant century while Rahim went past his fifty. The experienced duo put together an unbeaten 165-run partnership and took their side home with consummate ease.