Sri Lanka Defeat Bangladesh in Asia Cup Super 4
In its opening Asia Cup Super 4 match, Sri Lanka secured a 21-run victory over Bangladesh, extending its streak to 13 consecutive wins in one-day internationals. Sadeera Samarawickrama played aggressively, scoring 93 runs off 72 balls, as Sri Lanka set a total of 257-9 after Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan chose to field after winning the toss.
Sri Lanka’s captain, Dasun Shanaka, then bowled with precision and took three top-order wickets. Off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana, despite suffering from pain in his bowling thumb, utilized his carrom balls effectively in the death overs. This led to Bangladesh being bowled out for 236.
Towhid Hridoy contributed a valiant 82 runs off 97 balls for Bangladesh, taking them close to their target before being dismissed lbw by Theekshana’s carrom ball in the 44th over, effectively sealing the victory for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s streak of 13 consecutive wins in men’s one-day internationals is indeed remarkable and ranks as the second-longest winning streak in the history of men’s ODI cricket. It highlights their consistent performance and dominance in the format during that period.
“The Bangladesh bowlers bowled really well, especially Hasan Mahmud. I thought if I hit the same areas it would work well so I stuck to my basics,” Shanaka said. “When there’s no frontline bowlers someone needs to chip in and today was my day.”
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In the match, Sri Lanka’s captain Dasun Shanaka made significant contributions with the ball. He dismissed Bangladesh openers Mehidy Hasan Miraz (28) and Mohammad Naim (21) in consecutive overs after they had put on 55 runs for the first wicket.
Bangladesh’s captain Shakib Al Hasan and the experienced Liton Das were dismissed cheaply, but Mushfiqur Rahim (29) and Towhid Hridoy revived the chase with a 72-run partnership. However, Shanaka returned in the 38th over and promptly had Mushfiqur caught at mid-off.
Later in the final 10 overs, off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana returned and made quick work of Bangladesh’s lower-order batsmen. While Matheesha Pathirana had expensive figures of 3-58, he managed to wrap up the innings by clean bowling Shoriful Islam. These performances contributed to Sri Lanka’s 21-run victory in the match.
Earlier in the match, Bangladesh managed to make a comeback despite a couple of dropped catches. Kusal Mendis (50) and Pathum Nissanka (40) formed a crucial 74-run partnership for the second wicket.
Left-arm fast bowler Shoriful Islam, who had been performing well in the tournament, dismissed Nissanka, trapping him lbw, and then had Mendis caught with a brilliant short ball.
Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva couldn’t make significant contributions, but Sadeera Samarawickrama accelerated in the death overs before getting out on the final ball. Taskin Ahmed took 3-62, while Mahmud achieved figures of 3-57, contributing to Bangladesh’s effort in containing Sri Lanka’s batting lineup.
The archrivals Pakistan and India are scheduled to face each other on Sunday in a highly anticipated match. Rain is expected to disrupt the game; however, the organizers have made adjustments to the playing conditions with the agreement of all the participating teams. They have included a reserve day to accommodate any potential interruptions due to weather, ensuring that the match can be completed if necessary. This decision allows for a fair and complete contest between the two teams.
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