Sri Lanka has faced consecutive defeats in this World Cup. After losing to South Africa, they lost today’s match against Bangladesh as well. Following this defeat, Sri Lankan captain Wanindu Hasaranga blamed the batting.
Hasaranga said, “Our batters really batted well in the first 8/10 overs. After that, I think we batted poorly.”
The Sri Lankan captain added, “We all know our bowling attack is our strength. Our main four bowlers have to bowl four overs along with the all-rounders. That’s where we didn’t perform well.”
Hasaranga also mentioned the regret over the score. He said, “If we could have scored 150 to 160, there would have been a chance to win.”
Meanwhile, in today’s game, Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka by 2 wickets, paving the way to the second round.
Losing the toss and batting first at Grant Prairie Stadium in Texas, Sri Lanka scored 124 runs for 9 wickets. Despite being under pressure while chasing, Towhid Hridoy made a difference. In the end, Mahmudullah Riyad’s calm finishing ensured the victory with one over to spare.
The Tigers could have easily won the simple target, and Hridoy had brought the equation within reach. By hitting three sixes off Hasaranga, Hridoy reduced the gap to 34 runs from 50 balls with 7 wickets in hand. The Tigers were dreaming of a dominant victory then.
However, from there, the match started to change color. In the next 6 overs, Bangladesh lost 5 wickets for just 22 runs. Despite having more balls than runs, the Tigers fell into uncertainty after losing 8 wickets. Nevertheless, Mahmudullah led the team to victory again.
However, the match hero was neither Mahmudullah nor Towhid Hridoy, but Rishad Hossain. Playing in a global event for the first time, he became the man of the match by taking 3 wickets for 22 runs, which bundled out Sri Lanka. Although Mustafizur also took three wickets.
Chasing an easy target of 125 runs, Soumya Sarkar returned by catching a practice catch on the third ball. He scored 0 runs in 2 balls. Tanzid Tamim also couldn’t settle, scoring 3 off 6 balls in the next over, falling to Nuwan Thushara.
Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Liton Das tried to recover from the shock of losing two wickets for 6 runs. But this partnership didn’t last long either, scoring 22 runs in 22 balls. Shanto returned at 28 runs in 5.2 overs. He scored 7 runs in 13 balls.
However, Liton Das and Towhid Hridoy pulled the team up from there. Their partnership pushed Bangladesh towards victory. Hridoy was more aggressive, hitting three consecutive sixes off Hasaranga in the 12th over. Though he had to return soon after.
Hridoy’s storm stopped at 11.4 overs, with the team at 91 runs. He scored 40 runs off 20 balls. Bangladesh needed 34 runs from 50 balls then. But the equation became tough when Liton returned at 14.1 overs. He scored 36 runs off 38 balls.
The pressure increased as Shakib (8) returned soon after. With 14 runs needed from the last 18 balls and 4 wickets in hand, Rishad Hossain and Taskin also got out while trying to score those runs. However, Mahmudullah cleared all doubts with a small inning of 16* runs from 13 balls.
Earlier, Sri Lanka had a great start after losing the toss and batting. Despite losing two wickets in the Power Play, they scored 53 runs. Taskin returned Kusal Mendis for 10, and Kamindu (4) became Mustafizur’s first victim. But Sri Lanka was heading towards a big target with Pathum Nissanka’s batting.
From the end of the Power Play, Sri Lanka’s run rate slowed down. After Nissanka’s departure, it slowed even more. The dangerous Lankan opener was also returned by Mustafizur, scoring 47 off 28 balls. Sri Lanka lost 3 wickets for 70 runs in 9 overs.
Before they could recover from the pressure, Rishad struck twice, removing Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka. He even raised the possibility of a hat-trick by taking two wickets in consecutive balls. First, Asalanka for 21, then Hasaranga with a golden duck.
Rishad shone again in the next over, removing the settled Dhananjaya de Silva. Silva got stumped out for 21 runs off 26 balls. That exposed the Lankan tail, with the next three wickets shared by Taskin, Mustafizur, and Tanzim Shakib.
Scores:
Sri Lanka: 124/9 in 20 overs (Nissanka 47, Dhananjaya 21, Asalanka 19; Mustafiz 3/17, Rishad 3/22, Taskin 2/25)
Result: Bangladesh won by 2 wickets.
Man of the Match: Rishad Hossain.
Bangladesh: 125/8 in 20 overs (Towhid 40, Liton 36, Mahmudullah 16*; Thushara 4/18, Hasaranga 2/32)
