At the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, Sri Lanka put up a remarkable effort to defeat Bangladesh (183/7) by two wickets in a thrilling Group B encounter and advance to the Asia Cup 2022 Super Four.
Bangladesh’s participation in the competition was over as they lost both of their matches, but Sri Lanka and Afghanistan advanced to the Super Four from Group B.
Both teams traded blows with one another throughout the whole first innings of the game, but Bangladesh ultimately succeeded in posting a respectable score of 183/7 in 20 overs. Bangladesh was given the opportunity to bat first and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (38 off 26) was elevated to open the innings. He provided them with a strong start. But in the middle overs, Sri Lanka battled back, taking wickets at regular intervals.
The innings then gained momentum when Afif Hossain came on and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck on his way to a 22-ball 39. Before being bowled in the 17th innings, he held a 57-run standoff for the fifth wicket off the bat in 37 balls.
With the momentum still going, Mosaddek Hossain (24 not out off 9) and Taskin Ahmed (11 off 6) hammered 24 runs off 11 balls for Bangladesh’s eighth wicket, bringing the score to 183-7. Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva took 2/41, while Chamika Karunaratne scored 2/32 for Sri Lanka.
While wickets were coming from the other end, Sri Lankan batsman Kusal Mendis performed a valiant effort (60 off 37) to keep his team in the game. After Mendis was out, it was up to captain Dasun Shanaka to maintain the momentum, which he accomplished with a pivotal knock (45 off 33) before being dismissed in the 18th over.
With his 16 off 10 following that, Chamika Karunaratne gave the Sri Lankan innings some breathing room, but a reckless run cost him his wicket on the fifth delivery of the 19th over. The following batter, Asitha Fernando, though, smashed two crucial boundaries to make 10 runs off just three balls and guide Sri Lanka to an exciting two-wicket victory with two wickets remaining and four balls to spare.
The most productive and expensive bowler for Bangladesh was Ebadot Hossain (3/51). the other wicket-takers included Taskin Ahmed (2/24), Mustafizur Rahman (1/32), and Mahedi Hasan (1/30).
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