Sabbir shows shabby SL how it’s done

Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman (L) celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera during the Asia Cup T20 cricket tournament match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on 28 February. 

Madushka Balasuriya reporting from Dhaka, Bangladesh

Sri Lanka’s inexperienced batting line-up failed to fire yet again as they fell to a 23 run defeat by a vibrant Bangladesh outfit, who despite a few hiccoughs along the way managed to best the Lankans in almost every department. Bangladesh owe their win chiefly to Sabbir Rahman, whose blistering counterattacking knock set the platform for a competitive total, which their bowlers ultimately defended with ease. The result leaves Sri Lanka with an uphill struggle to reach the final, and the form of their batsman a glaring concern, ahead of tough encounters against the bowling attacks of India and Pakistan.

Bangladesh despite their impressive performance will be looking to improve in the field going forward, as both Lankan openers were given reprieves at the start of their chase. Chandimal was dropped off the second ball of the innings by Soumya Sarkar at second slip, while a more difficult chance was dropped by Mahmadullah at wide slip with Dilshan the beneficiary on that occasion. Sarkar though made amends shortly after grasping a spectacular catch to dismiss Dilshan. After failing to reach the pitch of the ball he skied one straight down the ground off Shakib Al Hasan, Sarkar kept his eye on the ball and completed an impressive take running back as the ball fell over his shoulder. Sri Lanka looked to consolidate thereafter, as Chandimal and Shehan Jayasuriya knocked the ball around sneaking the odd boundary in between. 

However once the spin of Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah was brought on, the pressure eventually told. With the scoring rate rising Chandimal went for a premeditated reverse sweep and only found the man at deep point, out for a run-a-ball 37. Jayasuriya having come down the wicket and lifted one for six over extra cover off Mahmudullah, tried to do the same off Shakib only for the bowler to see him coming and drop the ball short and wide. Nurul Hasan gleefully completed the stumping.

The run rate by then had climbed to over nine runs an over but with Angelo Mathews still at the crease and the side batting all the way down to Nuwan Kulasekara at number 10, the Lankans would have fancied their chances. However the pace of Al-Amin Hossain and Mashrafe Mortaza came to the fore, and a combination of poor shot selection and disciplined bowling saw Bangladesh canter home. 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, after India’s win against Pakistan, had said that with the bowler friendly wicket in Mirpur 140-150 would be a competitive total. That Bangladesh managed to get there was solely down to the efforts of Sabbir Rahman - his 80 off 54 balls accounting for more than half his side’s total. Rahman came in to face the third ball of the match after Angelo Mathews had trapped Mohammad Mithun LBW for a duck. 

He then saw Soumya Sarkar join his fellow opening partner in the pavilion as he offered a leading edge off Nuwan Kulasekera for Mathews to gobble up eagerly. Bangladesh fell deeper into the mire a few overs later when Mushfiqur Rahim, who had been fortunate to edge one wide of backward point safely earlier, gifted his wicket away going for a non-existent run which ended up with him stranded up the pitch. Mathews was again in the thick of it whipping off the bails.

By this time however Rahman had made up his mind to go after the Lankan attack; in the previous over he had taken Kulasekera for 18 runs, a hat trick of boundaries only interrupted by a glorious loft over long-on for six. Rahman repeated the feat two overs later hitting Thisara Perera for three consecutive boundaries - this time no six was involved. The spin of Rangana Herath and Shehan Jayasuriya then pulled the game back for the Lankans, as Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan attempted to consolidate the innings.

However in the 13th over Rahman broke the shackles, a well hit sweep off Jayasuriya was parried over the ropes for six by the palms of Chamara Kapugedara. The shot brought up his fifty and he celebrated by creaming Jayasuriya for two more boundaries.

Dushmantha Chameera though kept Sri Lanka in it and his spell of 3/30 in four overs looked to have kept the hosts below 140 but some timely boundaries from Rahman and a late 12-ball 23 run cameo from Mahmudullah saw Bangladesh finish with the momentum that eventually saw them through for the win.