Colombo, Sep 9 (UNI) Sadeera Samarawickrama’s outstanding 93 runs off 72 balls proved crucial for Sri Lanka as they posted 257/9 in the second match of Asia Cup Super-4 stage at R Premadasa Stadium here on Saturday.
Bangladesh won the toss and sent Sri Lanka into bat. Openers Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne provided an electrifying start to their innings, showcasing their batting prowess.
However, the excitement was short-lived for Sri Lanka as Hasan Mahmud of Bangladesh dismissed Karunaratne early in the powerplay. Karunaratne scored 18 runs off 17 balls.
Mahmud’s impressive performance set the tone for Bangladesh in the first powerplay.
After the powerplay, Shakib Al Hasan and Nasum Ahmed bowled economically, putting pressure on the Sri Lankan batsmen. Despite this, Nissanka and wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Mendis formed a solid partnership, contributing 74 runs off 107 balls.
The partnership appeared to be promising for Sri Lanka until Shoriful Islam, with a brilliant slower delivery, dismissed Nissanka after he had scored 40 runs off 60 balls.
Islam also managed to remove the well-set Mendis, who scored50 runs off 73 balls. The breakthroughs placed Sri Lanka under pressure.
However, the islanders found hope in the form of Dasun Shanaka and Sadeera, who put together a partnership of 60 runs off 57 balls. Their resilience and aggressive batting helped boost Sri Lanka’s total to 257 runs.
In the end, it was Sadeera who stole the show with an outstanding performance, blazing 93 runs off 72 balls, which proved to be crucial for Sri Lanka’s innings.
Bangladesh’s bowlers played a pivotal role in restricting Sri Lanka’s innings.
Taskin Ahmed picked up 3 wickets for 62 runs, while Shoriful contributed with 2 wickets for 48 runs. Hasan Mahmud also impressed with 3 wickets for 57 runs, setting up a challenging target for Bangladesh.
With Sri Lanka posting a challenging target, Bangladesh faces the task of chasing down 258 runs to win the match. The stage is set for an exciting second innings, and cricket fans around the world eagerly await the outcome of the gripping encounter.
