The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
Sri Lanka starting their super four campaign with a victory while Bangladesh on the brink of elimination. They still have an outside chance but for that to happen, several calculations needs to go their way. The Mother of all clashes "India vs Pakistan" 2nd round will be played tomorrow and the cricket aficionados will be looking forward to what should be a cliffhanger. Hopefully the weather will stay pleasant like it all day. Like always, it was a pleasure bringing all the live coverage for this encounter. Keep following Sportskeeda for all the latest sporting action but for now this is myself (Arya Sekhar Chakraborty) signing off also on behalf of my fellow commentator Bala. Goodnight! Cheers!
Sadeera Samarawickrama (Player of the Match): When I went to bat, wicket was not easy to bat on. My plan was to build momentum and take our team to a good total. My plan was to play late as much as I can. Not going too much forward in this wicket worked for me. I got my rhythm in the first few deliveries and that worked. I was trying to bat deep and double the total. My plan was to take the score to 250. I told my partner that we have to take some risks in the death overs and I had the confidence that the bowlers will do the job.
Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka captain): The Bangladesh bowlers really well especially Hasan Mahmud. I thought if I could hit the seam it could work for me. When there is no frontline bowler, someone have to chip in and thankfully I could chip in today. Theekshana didn't bowl too well but came back strongly to bag those wickets. I have played enough to understand the game. Kusal Mendis and Sadeera batted brilliantly. Very happy for them.
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh captain): I thought it was a good toss to win. We didn't bowl too well in the powerplay. Credit goes to Sri Lanka for the way they handled the new ball. We came back strongly but Sadeera played brilliantly. We had a 50 run opening stand but we needed 80-100. Our top 4 didn't get enough runs. He batted really well. He played the LPL. That tournament gave him a lot of confidence. There are lots of ifs and buts to talk about but Sri Lanka played better than us. We tried our best. The seamer was a bit on the expensive side but they picked wickets so we can't complain.
Maheesh Theekshana (3 for 69): I just went with my basics. I bowled the second over and came back for 4 over spell. Old ball, fielders outside, I knew one or two wickets and we are back in the game. (Finger injury) It was difficult to grip, but when we are playing for the country, we have to do our best. We are out of our best bowlers, but someone has to step up. Our plan was to bowl wicket to wicket. If they miss, we can get bowled or lbw (decisions). We had a field set up for them for that kind of line and length.
Sri Lanka won by 21 runs
Sadeera Samarawickrama 93(72) | Dasun Shanaka 3/28(9) Towhid Hridoy 82(97) | Hasan Mahmud 3/57(9)
That's the end of the game. Pathirana nailing the Yorkers and details the middle stump. A great match as Sri Lanka win by 21 runs. Bangladesh on the verge of elimination here. Some jitters towards the end with Nasum Ahmed striking some big blows but in the end, Pathirana was just too good. Sri Lanka starting the super four with a 21 run victory.
That turned out to be a hard-fought victory for Sri Lanka as they won by 21 runs to win their 13th game on a trot. Young gun Towhid Hridoy played a brilliant knock but the Sri Lankan bowlers were just too good for the Bangladesh batters. Maheesh Theekshana who had a tough start to the day made a dream comeback, bagging 3 crucial wickets which broke the backbone of the run chase. Openers Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Naim began well and shared a 55-run stand to lay the foundation for the run chase.
Both played the gap well and didn't try to hit the ball too hard. It was Dasun Shanaka who provided two crucial breaks for Sri Lanka in the form of two openers in quick time. He bowled brilliantly all through his spell and ensured Sri Lanka was ahead in the eight-ball for the majority of the game. Shakib Al Hasan also departed pretty early as Matheesha Pathirana had his number yet again. It was Mushfiqur Rahim and the youngster Towhid Hridoy who rebuilt the innings with a solid partnership.
Both took their time to get going as run scoring wasn't easy on this surface. The 70-odd partnership got them back in the game. It was Shanaka yet again who provided the much-needed breakthrough. Theekshana who was having a tough day bounced back strongly in his final spell, bagging the wicket of Shamim Hossain followed by the prized scalp of Towhid Hridoy. He added one more in the form of Taskin. Despite some lusty blows from Nasum Ahmed towards the end, Sri Lanka were the deserved winners by 21 runs.
48.1 Mathesha Pathirana to Nasum Ahmed, OUT! Brilliant delivery to close out the game! Perfect yorker right at the base of the middle-stump. Nasum is making room to go for a big hit, but the yorker proves a bit too good for him. Rattles the middle stump and wraps up the game for his side.
Nasum Ahmed b Matheesha Pathirana 15 (15b, 0x4, 1x6)
We are down to the last 2 overs and Bangladesh still with an outside chance. 22 still needed and Nasum Ahmed has just given them some hope with some good hitting in that over.
48
overs
236/9score
1
1
1wd
6
1
1
1
runs
Nasum Ahmed*
15(14)
Hasan Mahmud
10(7)
Maheesh Theekshana
3/69
47.6 Maheesh Theekshana to Nasum Ahmed, good length angling in. Swings it across over mid-wicket and takes one
47.5 Maheesh Theekshana to Hasan Mahmud, fuller ball outside off, slices it past covers for a single
47.4 Maheesh Theekshana to Nasum Ahmed, fuller on a length on the leg-stump. Drags it across to deep mid-wicket
That was an Acrobatic effort from the substitute fielder. Exceptional bit of work. He has done really well there. Wow! That is baffling. It has been given a six.
47.3 Maheesh Theekshana to Nasum Ahmed, fantastic effort in the deep! Has he managed to pull it back in? Yes, he has! Nasum launches this ball down to long-on. The fielder hops up, takes the catch and throws it back. But the TV umpire feels some part of his feet has touched the ground before throwing it back. It's a surprising decision
47.3 Maheesh Theekshana to Nasum Ahmed, floats it up wide and it turns past the tramline. Has to reload
47.2 Maheesh Theekshana to Hasan Mahmud, quick delivery full on the stumps. Clips it away to deep mid-wicket
47.1 Maheesh Theekshana to Nasum Ahmed, fires it in on a length into the left-hander. Nasum swings and gets a thick inside edge to deep backward square leg
Pathirana with another wicket as Sri Lanka near their 13th consecutive ODI victory. The equation is very difficult for No 10 and 11.
47
overs
224/9score
W
4
0
4
0
0
runs
Hasan Mahmud*
8(5)
Nasum Ahmed
6(10)
Matheesha Pathirana
2/58
46.6 Mathesha Pathirana to Hasan Mahmud, full ball angling right across the batter. Too good for Hasan to make any contact with the hoick across the line