SAJEEWA JAYAKODY
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka faced their third consecutive defeat in the ICC World Cup series as Bangladesh clinched a thrilling win by three wickets and 53 balls to spare in a dramatic match held at a high-scoring ground in Delhi on Monday.
This victory marked Bangladesh’s first-ever win against Sri Lanka in ICC World Cup history. Shakib Al Hassan, dropped early in the innings by Charith Asalanka, made a significant impact, scoring 82 runs. His outstanding performance earned him the ICC Player of the Match award, along with bowling figures of 2/57, taking the wickets of Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama.
Sri Lanka’s Dilshan Madushanka removed Bangladesh’s first two wickets for 41 runs within the initial seven overs. However, a pivotal partnership between Najmul Shanto and skipper Shakib Al Hassan, lasting 169 runs, shifted the game’s momentum in Bangladesh’s favor.
Asalanka’s dropped catch of Shakib Al Hassan at just 7 allowed the partnership to flourish for over 20 overs without losing any wickets, significantly easing Bangladesh’s run chase. Shanto contributed the highest score of 90, while Shakib Al Hasan’s two sixes and a dozen boundaries added crucial runs.
The crucial breakthrough for Sri Lanka came when Angelo Mathews dismissed both Shanto and Shakib Al Hassan. Mathews played a pivotal role by breaking the partnership and gestured towards Shakib upon his departure.
Despite Sri Lanka’s later efforts in taking five wickets for 76 runs, the target set by Sri Lanka was insufficient for the high-scoring ground in Delhi, favoring Bangladesh, who chased it down in 41.1 overs.
Dilshan Madushanka’s exceptional bowling effort claimed three important wickets, including earlier both openers and wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim in the death overs. Maheesh Theekshana also contributed with two wickets during the final overs. However, the target of 280 runs set by Sri Lanka proved insufficient given the venue’s conducive conditions for batting.
The match showcased Bangladesh’s historic victory over Sri Lanka in the ICC World Cup, highlighting exceptional performances by key players Shakib Al Hassan and a resilient batting lineup that ultimately secured the win.
Earlier, Sri Lanka fell short of finishing their innings with a flourish, albeit amid controversy. Despite an impressive century by middle-order batsman Charith Asalanka, Sri Lanka set a target of 280 runs on what seemed like a batting-friendly pitch.
Asalanka showcased his batting prowess, scoring his second ODI hundred and his first in World Cup matches, contributing a total of 279 runs for his team. However, his innings concluded in the 47th over, featuring five sixes and six fours, just as he seemed to be guiding the team towards a higher total.
The Sri Lankan innings started with a setback as Kusal Perera was caught behind off Shoriful Islam, continuing his struggle at the top of the order. Subsequently, skipper Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka managed to put on a partnership of 61 runs for the second wicket.
Sadeera Samarawickrama then added 63 runs for the fourth wicket with Charith Asalanka before getting caught at deep mid-wicket, leaving Sri Lanka at 135/4 at the halfway point of the innings.
An unusual moment occurred when Angelo Mathews was timed out, a rare instance in the history of cricket, as Sri Lanka reached 135/5. Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva formed a crucial 78-run partnership for the sixth wicket before de Silva was stumped off Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
Reflecting on the innings, centurion Charith Asalanka expressed his concerns, stating, “My point of view is, it’s not good for the cricket. After that, Dhananjaya came and had a good partnership, and that’s how we built the pace.”
Later in the innings, Maheesh Theekshana added another 45 runs with Asalanka for the seventh wicket before getting caught. However, Sri Lanka couldn’t conclude their innings on the high note they had anticipated, falling short of 20-30 runs, as mentioned by Asalanka.
Chief scores:
Sri Lanka: 279 all out in 49.3 overs (Charith Asalanka 108, Pathum Nissanka 41, Sadeera Samarawickrama 41, Dhananjaya de Silva 34, Maheesh Theekshana 22, Kusal Mendis 19, Tanzim Hasan 3/80, Shoriful Islam 2/52, Shakib Al Hasan 2/57.
Bangadesh: 282/7 in 41.1 overs (Najmul Shanto 90, Shakib Al Hasan 82, Litton Das 23, Mahamudullah 22, Towhid Hridoy 15 n.o, Mushfiqur Rahim 10, Dilshan Madushanka 3/69, Angelo Mathews 2/35, Maheesh Theekshana 2/44).