Image Credit- AFP
In the first ODI,
Sri Lanka had Bangladesh at 92 for 4, chasing 256. However, as the dew settled
in, the bowlers found it difficult to strike deeply. After bowling five overs
himself, all-rounder Janith Liyanage felt like this.
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim put on a match-winning 165-run
fifth-wicket stand during the latter part of the game; Shanto concluded with
122 not out and Rahim with 73 not out.
But by the end of the game, the outfield was practically flooded. After the
sixteenth over, Sri Lanka failed to claim a wicket. The quantity of dampness on
the ball was obviously making it difficult for their bowlers.
“We were on top at that moment when it was 92 for 4,” Liyanage said
after the match. “We thought we had a really good chance of winning the
game. But when the dew came into play it was really hard for the bowlers to
grip the ball. But they batted really well.
“Credit to the Bangladesh team the way they batted. Shanto played
extremely well and, of course, Mushfiqur bhai also played really well.”
Despite the fact
that dew had an impact on the T20Is in Sylhet, Sri Lanka had still won the toss
and elected to bat. Liyanage explained that his team’s decision to bat first
was because “we never expected there to be so much dew.”
It is also acknowledged that nearly everyone was taken aback by the dampness.
Neither during the BPL nor over the past few evenings in Chattogram has there
been any noticeable dew.
The storm season may be approaching, since there may have been a change in the
weather over the past several days throughout Bangladesh.
Liyanage acknowledged that Sri Lanka’s total of 255 was too low, even though
the dew made it tough to defend, especially after their openers had raced to 71
inside 10 overs.
“We got a
really good start. Our opening batsmen played really well. But after that
Bangladesh took three quick wickets. Then we had to rebuild.
“With the start we got we could have got 300 runs today. We were a bit
disappointed about that.”