After the wicket of Shanto, the innings fell apart shockingly.
The Sri Lankan team started off the ODI series with a solid win as they defeated Bangladesh by 77 runs in the first match held at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday, July 2. After opting to bat first, the host nation ended up making 244 in 49.2 overs, largely due to a superb century from Charith Asalanka.
The left-hand batter smashed a brilliant 106 off 123 balls with the help of six boundaries and four sixes. Asalanka brought that stability after an early collapse that saw the likes of Pathum Nissanka, Nishan Madushka, and Kamindu Mendis dismissed cheaply. Asalanka forged a crucial 60-run stand with Kusal Mendis (45) before cameos from Janith Liyanage (29), Milan Rathnayake (22), and Wanindu Hasaranga (22) boosted the score. For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed registered the figures of 4/47 in 10 overs, while Tanzim Hasan Sakib chipped in with 3 wickets.
In reply, the Bangla Tigers had a good start, but then they lost the wicket of Parvez Hossain Emon early for 13. Tanzid Hasan Tamim then came up with a knock of 62 runs alongside Najmul Hossain Shanto, who made 23 runs, with the duo adding 71 runs for the second wicket. After the wicket of Shanto, the innings fell apart shockingly.
Bangladesh lost seven wickets for just five runs in a span of 27 balls, crumbling from 100/1 to 105/8 in a chaotic passage of play. It’s the second worst collapse of seven wickets in men’s ODI history.
The likes of Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Litton Das, and Towhid Hridoy failed to make an impact in the middle. Sri Lankan spinners exploited the surface, with Wanindu Hasaranga being the mastermind with the ball. The right-arm spinner picked up four wickets after conceding just 10 runs in 7.5 overs, including two maidens. Kamindu Mendis also took 3 wickets as the Tigers found no answers to the spin threat.
Over in Colombo, Bangladesh have lost 7-5 (seven wickets for five runs) against Sri Lanka, the second-worst seven-wicket collapse in men's ODI history. Only Zimbabwe's slide from 124-3 to 127 all out in 2008, also against Sri Lanka, beats it
“I was expecting we would win with five to seven overs in hand. Those two wickets in one over was the turning point for them”, Taskin Ahmed said after the game.
“Yeah, after that great start, we were a bit relaxed that everything was going our way, and suddenly, that run-out and one of our set batters, Tamim [Tanzid], got out. Then we panicked a bit. We didn’t play our natural game, and under pressure, we collapsed. That’s how we lost this match”, he added.
Jaker Ali was the lone warrior for the Bangla Tigers as he smashed 50 off 58 balls, but his effort merely postponed the inevitable. Hasaranga snared him lbw to close the innings at 167 in 35.5 overs. On the back of this win, Sri Lanka has taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Bangladesh will look to make a comeback when they face the Island nation in the second ODI, scheduled for Saturday, July 5.
PAL
HS
WI
AUS
SOST
ENG-W
IND-W
LEX
TGS
ENGA-W
SL-A
DURH
NOT
SOM
GLAM
KENT
SUSS
YOR
WOR
NOR
LAN
LEI
BB
ESS
GLO
TBLZ-W
