Sri Lanka 238 for 2 (Dilshan 113*, Sangakkara 63) beat Bangladesh 259 for 8 (Tamim 112, Nasir 73*) by eight wickets (D-L method)
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Bangladesh's first ODI of the year should be remembered for several events, including a Tamim Iqbal century, but the assault on their bowlers by the Sri Lanka openers overshadowed all that. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kushal Janith Perera,
playing only his fifth ODI, took less than an hour to decimate an
already feeble pace attack and demoralise the spinners, Bangladesh's
strength. Sri Lanka eased to an eight-wicket victory, giving them a 1-0
lead in the three-match series.
Bangladesh's score of 258 for 9 was supposed to test Sri Lanka,
especially in Hambantota where the previous highest successful chase was
211. The added advantage for Bangladesh was the 85-minute delay
in-between innings due to a power failure in two light towers, which
gave Sri Lanka a revised target of 238 in 41 overs.
Sri Lanka's task had been made more difficult, but Dilshan and Perera
responded ruthlessly. They added 106 in just 12.1 overs, hammering 13
boundaries and a six. Seven of those fours came off the first 14
deliveries that Abul Hasan and Rubel Hossain served up. It was one of
those games the late Tony Greig would have loved to call; one of those
carving the bowling, Kushal, was almost a copy of Sanath Jayasuriya.
Save the superstitious touches of the pad, helmet and bat, the stance
and the shots of Kushal were reminiscent of Jayasuriya's style of play.
The first square cut threw you back to the mid 1990s, when Jayasuriya
gained the reputation for being a destroyer of bowling attacks.
As the fours poured in, there were signs of more similarity. Kushal's
grip tends to stay towards the bottom of the handle as well, but his
attacking instincts almost led to an early dismissal when he swept one
straight to deep square leg. But Abdur Razzak parried the chance over
the boundary ropes.
Kushal took a lot of the limelight, being the younger batsman, but it
was Dilshan who was the wrecker-in-chief. Dilshan contributed 56 to the
opening partnership, and later consolidated on the start with Kumar
Sangakkara. It appeared as if the pair had slowed down considerably but
they scored at a fair clip, though the Bangladesh bowlers bowled better
with an extra fielder outside the 30-yard circle. Sangakkara made 63 off
68 balls, adding 128 runs for the second wicket. He was caught at the
third-man boundary, five runs short of victory.
Dilshan reached his 17th ODI century, his second against Bangladesh, in
the 31st over. He was severe on anything overpitched, and there were
several offerings from Rubel Hossain, Abul Hasan and Abdur Razzak, who
were unable to stop the flow of boundaries.
The other century of the day came from Tamim's bat, but Bangladesh
suffered a setback as he was ruled out of the series after injuring his
right thumb during the chase. The century, his fourth in ODIs, was his
first in international cricket in almost three years. It was also the
first hundred in the format against Sri Lanka by a Bangladesh batsman in
31 matches between the teams.
Tamim's 112 off 136 balls, and an unbeaten 73 off 59 balls by Nasir
Hossain, was undermined by the others' failure to make a significant
contribution. Sri Lanka's bowlers showed patience to induce Anamul
Haque, Mohammad Ashraful and captain Mushfiqur Rahim to play ordinary
shots, and get out against the run of play. One dragged it on, the other
fell to a lobbed drive, and Mushfiqur fell to an ugly hoick - the
Bangladesh top and middle-order collapsed in the space of 31 deliveries.
Tamim held the innings together till the 44th over, being involved in
key partnerships with Mahmudullah (for the fourth wicket) and Nasir (for
the fifth). He played some of his favourite shots, especially the cuts
and drives, as he found different angles and enough height to clear the
fielders. Whenever the bowlers pitched it up or provided him width, he
was at it quickly. Each of the twelve boundaries was well thought, while
the six off Lasith Malinga was a calculated loft over long-on late in
the innings. After he was run out, Nasir took over the baton to give the
innings a final flourish. He smashed six fours and three sixes, as
Bangladesh added 90 runs in the last 10 overs.
Sri Lanka picked up those 90 runs in the first 9.3 overs, without losing
a wicket, facing two new balls and against bowlers who represent
Bangladesh's "best available options" at the moment. The home side, too,
has to fare better with the ball, but their challenge in this
department is going to be much easier.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent
Feeds: Mohammad Isam
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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