Asia Cup 2023, Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh: Sadeetra Samarawickrama's 93, Dasun Shanaka's 3-28 and Towhid Hridoy's 82 are top performances. Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh in super 4 game and move to 2nd position.
Brief Scores: SL 257/9 (Samarawickrama 93, Mendis 50, Hasan 3/57) beat BAN 236 (Hridoy 82, Shanaka 3/28, Pathirana 3/58) by 21 runs.
Player of the match: Sadeera Samarawickrama (93 in 72 balls)
On the back of their thrilling victory over Afghanistan to keep themselves alive in Asia Cup 2023, Sri Lanka locked horns with Bangladesh for the second game of the Super Four stage of the tournament at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
In their last encounter during the tournament's group stage, Sri Lanka had an easy five-wicket win over Bangladesh.
Talking point: Bangladesh misses collective effort in the batting department
Bangladesh haven’t been consistent in their batting department during this tournament. Even though Najmul Hossain, Shanto Shakib Al Hasan, and Mushfiqur Rahim have done well in patches in their batting, they have yet to bat well as a group during this tournament. The young and senior players must quickly put their hands together in the competition.
Sri Lanka records 13th straight win with all-round performance
On winning the toss, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan opted to bowl, keeping the rain prediction in mind. Sri Lanka went with an unchanged eleven, while Bangladesh added Nasum Ahmed in place of Afif Hossain.
Putting into bat first, Sri Lanka went off to a healthy start with 51/1 in the first 10 overs before Bangladesh, with their variations and spin bowling options, pulled them back into the game as Sri Lanka reached 171/5 after 38 overs. But the 60-run stand for the sixth wicket between Dasun Shanaka and Sadeera Samarawickrama pushed them to 257/9 in their allotted 50 overs.
Bangladesh went off to a decent start with 47/0 in the powerplay before Sri Lanka pulled the game back in their court, reducing the opponents to 101/4 at the halfway mark. The 72-run stand for the fifth wicket between Mushfiqur Rahim and Towhid Hridoy recovered them to 154/4 in 37 overs before Hridoy alone pushed them to 190/6 in 43 overs. But with his dismissal, Sri Lanka bundled out Bangladesh for 236 runs to grab the victory by 21 runs.
Let’s scan the top three performances between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from Super 4s in Colombo
Elegant Samarawickrama displayed high class with a 93-run knock
Sadeera Samarawickrama is one of the Sri Lankan players who hasn’t taken the little opportunities he has got. When he walked out in the middle, after a perfect start, Sri Lanka lost the momentum at 108/2 in 23.2 overs.
The right-handed batter didn’t hit a boundary in the next seven overs as he was just guiding the ball for singles and doubles before using his feet to smash Mehidy Hasan Miraz over his head for a boundary. He punched Hasan Mahmud through backward point for another four before smartly dabbing Nasum Ahmed through third man region for another boundary.
Samarawickrama pulled Shoriful Islam behind the square for a boundary to celebrate his fifth ODI fifty in 45 balls. He drove Taskin Ahmed’s slower ball through the cover region for another boundary before pulling Hasan over long leg for a huge six. He hoisted Taskin over point for a six to now have 49 runs in 30 ODI balls, besides one dismissal against the bowler.
He was dismissed on 93 in 72 deliveries with the help of eight boundaries and a couple of sixes at a strike rate of 129.17 to have 550 ODI runs in 20 games now.
Read More: Asia Cup 2023: Group B, BAN vs AFG: Mehidy & Najmul's tons, pacers' precision keep Bangladesh alive
Leader Shanaka pulls the game back in their hut with 3/28
Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka wasn’t in form when it came to his bowling, but on a vital day, birthday boy Shanka changed the route of the game.
Coming into the attack during the third over of the game, Shanka kept it tight, giving away just 12 runs in his first four over before sending back Mehidy Hasan Miraz on 28, who chipped the slower ball in the hands of the midwicket fielder. Mohammad Naim, on 21, was in no control of Shanaka’s slow bouncer to which the batter was caught in the hands of the wicket-keeper.
Coming back for his eighth over, Shanaka broke the 72-run stand between Rahim and Hridoy with the wicket of Rahim on 29, who, advancing on the track, found the mid-off fielder. This is the second time Shankar had the better of Rahim in ODIs, giving away 49 runs in 52 balls. He ended with 3/28 in nine overs to now have 27 ODI scalps in 64 games.
Young Hridoy showed positive signs with an 82-run knock
When Towhid Hridoy came in the middle, Bangladesh were limping at 83/4 in the 19th over. Hridoy took his own time before punching Maheesh Theekshana in front of the square for a four before sweeping Dunith Wellalage for the same result.
He hammered a beautiful boundary against Matheesha Pathirana over the mid-off fielder to record a 72-run fifth wicket stand with Rahim. With smashing Theekshana behind square, the 22-year-old reached his fourth ODI fifty in 76 balls.
Even with wickets falling from the other end, Hridoy hammered Theekshana over his head for a beautiful six before being adjusted Leg before the stumps (LBW) on 82 in 96 balls, shouldering on his seven boundaries and one six. He now has 442 ODI runs in 13 games at an average of 40.18.
Read More: Asia Cup 2023: Group A, PAK vs IND: Kishan & Pandya shine in abandoned game; Pak through to Super 4
Stats highlights from Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, Asia Cup 2023
With this win, Sri Lanka achieved their 13th consecutive ODI win, keeping them second in the list of most consecutive ODI victories, just behind Australia (21) in 2003.
This is Sri Lanka’s 75th ODI win at Colombo (RPS), joining Australia’s same number of victories in Melbourne (MCG).
Points scenario and what’s to come
With this win, Sri Lanka received two points and is now placed second in the table with a net run rate (NRR) of +0.42. Bangladesh remained at the bottom with two losses at an NRR of -0.749.
India will take on Pakistan on September 10 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Asia Cup 2023, Super 4 Points Table
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