Tigers beat Sri Lanka by 23 runs

Bangladesh recorded their maiden win over Sri Lanka in T20I when they came out in front by 23 runs in the 5th match of Asia Cup 2016 at Mirpur tonight.

Sri Lanka found the target too steep for their liking, and lost wickets at crucial junctures to fall short. Chandimal was their best performer with a run-a-ball 37. Jayasuriya chipped in with 26.

Bangladesh bowlers stuck to their plans and executed them proficiently. Al-Amin was the most successful bowler with three wickets for 34. Shakib got two while Mustafizur, Mashrafe and Mahmudullah captured one each.

Kulasekara fell with only three balls left, and the writing was on the wall as far as Sri Lanka were concerned.

Al-Amin took his second wicket of the match in the last over, and took Bangladesh to the cusp of a famous victory.

Shanaka was caught for 14. The low full-toss did the trick for the Tigers bowler.

Spectators were dancing in the aisles at Mirpur stadium after Al-Amin struck in the 18th over, and sent back Sri Lanka’s captain Angelo Mathews for 12.

Mathews went for a big hit over the covers but ended up slicing the ball high over point where Shakib took a juggling catch.

Sri Lanka lost half their side by the 15th over. Mashrafe Mortaza sent back Siriwardana with a slower ball to upset Sri Lanka’s progress.

Siriwardana picked the slower ball, cleared his front leg, slogged it straight to the fielder at deep midwicket.

Sri Lanka reeling…

Mustafizur came back in the 14th over to take the fourth Lankan wicket and place Bangladesh ahead with only a few overs left in the chase.

Thisara Perera was trapped in front for four runs by the Bangladeshi left arm pacer, and the Mirpur crowd went berserk with the dismissal!

Two quick wickets after the tenth over gave Bangladesh the upper hand as Sri Lanka batsmen found the going getting tough after every quiet over.

Shakib Al Hasan was ecstatic when he fooled Sri Lanka’s Jayasuriya in the air only to Nurul Hasan complete an easy stumping.

Jayasuriya reached out frantically, couldn’t make contact and fell for 26. He faced 22 balls and struck a four and two sixes during his stay at the wicket.

Mahmudullah brought Bangladesh back into the match with a timely wicket in the 11 th over. Chandimal was dismissed for a well-made 37. The ball scooped for a simple catch to Taskin at deep point.

Sri Lanka settled down after the fall of their first wicket as Dinesh Chandimal kept the scoreboard moving at a god pace.

The second wicket stand between Chandimal and Jayasuriya produced fifty runs in just over seven overs, and placed Sri Lanka in the driver’s seat.

Sri Lanka lost their first wicket in the fourth over bowled by Shakib Al Hasan. The wicket came when Dilshan was spectacularly caught in the deep by Soumya Sarkar.

Dilshan went for a big shot, didn’t time it at all, and it went high in the air behind the bowler, and Sarkar made up for the drop with a stunning grab. Dilshan fell for 12. 

Sri Lanka began their chase with a solid stand up front. Dilshan survived two drop chances, and played his natural game as much he could.

The Lankan openers rode on sloppy Bangladesh fielding to score some quick runs early.

Earlier, the late flourish from Mahmudullah ensured Bangladesh post a challenging total of 147 under the lights against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2016 at Mirpur.

Mahmudullah hammered 23 from 12 balls with two fours and a six. However, Sabbir was the mainstay in Tigers’ innings tonight.

Sri Lanka captain used seven bowlers, and Chameera was the most successful with three wickets for 30 runs in four overs.

Nurul Hasan of Bangladesh was dismissed in the last over. He tried to whip a ball from Chameera but got a leading edge to Mathews at cover.

Tigers lost their fifth wicket in the 18th over, when Chameera got the better of Shakib with a sharp bouncer. Shakib tried to open his shoulders and fell after smashing some crisp boundaries in his knock of 32 from 34 balls.

Bangladesh lost the wicket of Sabbir at the worst possible time when he looked like going into overdrive.

Sabbir entertained the Mirpur with some spectacular shots in his knock of 80. The imperious knock came off 54 balls and contained 10 fours and three sixes.

The fourth wicket stand of 82 between Shakib and Sabbir placed Bangladesh in a strong position for a challenging total tonight.

The unbeaten stand between Sabbir and Shakib for the fourth wicket gave Bangladesh the perfect platform from where they can accelerate late in the innings with wickets in hand.

Sabbir Rahman kept Sri Lanka bowlers at bay with batting of the highest caliber. He raced to his fifty in only 38 balls with six fours and two towering sixes.

Bangladesh lost their third wicket, which came against the play as Sabbir was smoking boundaries at the other end.

Terrible calling when Mushfiqur went for a run ended sour for the wicket-keeper batsman. Sabbir turned his partner down, although the single was on.

Mushfiqur was sent back for only four runs.

Sri Lanka were calling all the shots after Kulasekara struck in the second over, and sent back Bangladesh opener Soumya Sarkar for a three ball duck.

The ball was pitched up outside off, Sarkar drove on the up and the ball went pretty high and towards the circle, where Mathews took a few steps back to pouch that. Big wicket!

The new hard ball was still doing a bit on the Mirpur pitch, even though the track looks browner with all the grass shaved off.

Bangladesh were rattled early when Mohammad Mithun was trapped in front by Sri Lanka skipper Mathews with a beautiful in-swinger.

Mathews pitched it on short of length outside off and got it to jag back in a fair bit, beat Mithun completely. Looked plumb the first time! Mithun gone for a duck.

Tigers captain Mashrafe won the toss, and did not hesitate in making his decision. Given the conditions, he decided to bat first against Sri Lanka led by Angelo Mathews in the fifth game of Asia Cup 2016 at Mirpur.

When Sri Lanka were last in Bangladesh, in 2014, they seemed to be physically incapable of losing. Kumar Sangakkara spent so much time at the crease, the image of his backside is probably burned into wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim's retinas.

Lahiru Thirimanne was plundering runs at the top of the order. Nuwan Kulasekara's inswing, and Lasith Malinga's yorkers were humming. Even matches that Sri Lanka should have lost, were somehow turned around - often by outrageous performances, occasionally by umpiring error.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, have taken on an irresistible underdog mien, not dissimilar to Sri Lanka's class of 1996. They are rising.

They have unique talents, like Mustafizur Rahman and Soumya Sarkar. And they are led by talisman-warhorse Mashrafe Mortaza.

Some more experienced players in this Sri Lanka team have known only Bangla-bashing in their time. But they will know that this time, their buttocks are in danger of feeling the sting of the shoe, which might have switched feet.

The visitors will at least be pleased that Bangladesh's ODI dominance at home hasn't yet transferred to the shortest format. They will not be pleased that the hosts' victory over qualifiers UAE was more comprehensive than their own.

Sri Lanka's batting continues to stumble. Their T20 slide had begun in July last year against Pakistan at home, followed by their poor showing against New Zealand and India this year. So the Tigers can cash in on the Lankans' fragile batting.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka also have a very good bowling attack led by captain Lasith Malinga and the Bangladesh batting faltered in the first two games despite all their preparations. In this context, it will be a battle of two wobbling batting sides and it may well come down to who can bat better, or bat less poorly.

Sri Lanka so far have a hundred per cent winning record against Bangladesh as they have won all four previous T20Is.

The Tigers however can prove that they are not the same team that they were in February 2014 when these sides last met in this format, only if their batting clicks.

Bangladesh

Nurul Hasan (Wicketkeeper), Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Mohammad Mithun, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Mashrafe Mortaza (Captain), Al-Amin Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed

Sri Lanka

LD Chandimal (Wicketkeeper), TM Dilshan, TAM Siriwardana, MD Shanaka, AD Mathews (Captain), CK Kapugedera, DSNFG Jayasuriya, NLTC Perera, KMDN Kulasekara, HMRKB Herath, PVD Chameera

Will cricket fans of Bangladesh witness their heroes face Australia for a two-Test series? Photo: STAR