Image Credit- BCB
In Sylhet, it all
came down to the final over. With Jaker Ali on a rampage at the non-striker’s
end, Bangladesh needed 12 runs to chase down 207, but Dasun Shanaka hit some
perfect lengths and lines to enable Sri Lanka win the opening Twenty20
International in Sylhet by three runs.
When Jaker came onto the pitch, Bangladesh required ten runs in four balls.
Shanaka, however, maintained his composure to go full on off; Jaker attempted
to get under the ball, but it went through the bat’s bottom, and Charith Asalanka,
the stand-in captain, perfectly timed a low catch to his left at long-off.
They only spoke for
two balls about putting their past rivalries behind them. Shoriful imitated
Angelo Mathews’ celebration after catching Avishka Fernando behind, as they
played in the World Cup last year. Shakib and Bangladesh had caused controversy
by successfully requesting that Mathews be timed out, and Mathews had responded
by grabbing Shakib’s wrist during the chase.
In the fifth over, Taskin got rid of Kamindu Mendis, but not before he had hit
two sixes in his 14-ball 19. After being quiet throughout the powerplay, Kusal
Mendis hammered Rishad Hossain for two straight sixes in an 18-run over in the
12th over, which really got things moving. He reached a half-century off of 28
balls with the second of those sixes.
Leading that attack,
Asalanka hit six sixes. In the 17th over, he hit Taskin over deep square leg
after striking him over wide long on. He misled Mustafizur Rahman for a deep
third, then hit Shoriful with a similar shot for a six beyond the cover point. In
the final over, he also hit a wayward Mustafizur for two sixes, one over deep
square leg again and the other forcefully over point. In the final 5.2 overs,
Asalanka and Samarawickrama combined for 73 runs, establishing an uninterrupted
fourth-wicket stand.
As the visitors
dominated Bangladesh in the powerplay, Mathews scored two of Sri Lanka’s first
three goals. In the opening over, Litton was caught behind after playing a
foolish stroke that involved shuffle walking outside off stump and then
attempting to flip to leg. After making twelve in the fourth over, Soumya
Sarkar skied Binura Fernando, and Mathews had Towhid Hridoy caught behind for
eight.
Similar to Hridoy, Mahmudullah began his innings with a six, although he
applied more pressure to the Sri Lankan bowlers. He hit Mathews for an extra
cover off the opening ball, and then in the seventh over, he gave Bangladesh
their fifty, hitting Dasun Shanaka.
Avishka
Mahmudullah’s innings ended with Fernando making a fine catch at the long-on
boundary, taking him out for 54 off 31 balls. That appeared to be the end of
Bangladesh’s pursuit, but Jaker decided to shift gears at this precise moment.
Jaker ended Pathirana’s over with a bomb through the covers to register his
maiden T20I fifty off 25 balls. In the eighteenth over, Mahedi Hasan attempted
to hoick the same bowler, but he perished when timing two fours off Binura
Fernando, both through wide third. Bangladesh still needed 27 off the final 2.1
overs when Mahedi exited the field after the sixth-wicket combination had added
65 runs in 4.3 overs.
Pathirana continued
to be wayward in his last over, the penultimate of the innings. He conceded 15
runs including three fours, and bowled another no-ball. Jaker struck him
through midwicket, fine leg and extra cover to leave Bangladesh needing 12 off
the last over. It seemed then they might pull off an amazing heist, but it was
not to be.