BAN vs SL 1st T20I: The first match of the three-match T20 International series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh was played in Sylhet on Monday (04 March). Batting first in the match, Sri Lanka scored 206/3 runs on the board in 20 overs, but despite this they could win the match by only 3 runs. In the end, former captain Dasun Shanaka saved Sri Lanka’s honor by defending 12 runs in the last over.
Chasing the big target of 207 runs, Bangladesh needed 12 runs in the last over. Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka expressed confidence in former captain Dasun Shanaka for this work. Shanaka lived up to the captain’s expectations and spent only 8 runs.
In the match, Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bowl. Sri Lanka, who came to bat first, put 206 runs on the board for 6 wickets in 20 overs. During this, Sadira Samarawickrama played the biggest innings for the team of 61 runs in 48 balls with the help of 8 fours and 1 six. Apart from this, Kusal Mendis scored 59 runs in 36 balls with the help of 6 fours and 3 sixes. Captain Asalanka did the remaining work by scoring 41 runs in 21 balls with the help of 6 sixes.
Bangladesh lost after a close match
Bangladesh had a very bad start to chase the huge target of 207 runs. The team got its first blow in the very first over in the form of Liton Das, who returned to the pavilion without opening the account. Then in the fourth over, the team got the second blow in the form of fellow opener Soumya Sarkar, who could score only 12 runs with the help of 2 fours. Then Tauheed Hriday (08) was out in the fifth over.
From here, Mahmudullah and captain Nazmul Hussain Shanto improved the team’s position by making a partnership of 38 (28 balls) for the fourth wicket. This partnership ended in the 9th over with the wicket of Nazmul Hussain, who was out after scoring 20 runs in 22 balls with the help of 3 fours. Then for the fifth wicket, Mahmudullah made a partnership of 47 runs (29 balls) with Zaker Ali, which further strengthened the team. This partnership of both ended in the 14th over with the wicket of Mahmudullah, who played a brilliant inning of 54 runs in 31 balls with the help of 2 fours and 4 sixes. In this way the team lost 5 wickets on the score of 115.
After five wickets fell, Zaker Ali and Mehdi Hasan took the responsibility. Both of them made a partnership of 65 runs (27 balls) for the sixth wicket. This brilliant partnership ended in the 18th over with the wicket of Mehdi Hasan, who scored 16 runs in 11 balls with the help of 2 fours. Then when the team needed 12 runs in the last over, Rishad Hussain returned to the pavilion without opening the account on the first ball and Zaker Ali, who seemed to be the team’s last hope, was out on the third ball. Zaker played an inning of 68 runs in 34 balls with the help of 4 fours and 6 sixes.
Sri Lanka’s bowling was like this
Angelo Mathews, Binura Fernando and Dashun Shanaka took 2 wickets each for Sri Lanka. Apart from this, Mahish Teekshana and Mathisha Pathirana took 1 wicket each.