Match Report: Sri Lanka Qualified For The Super 4s- Thanks To Mendis, Shanaka, And Asitha

In Dubai on 1st September, Sri Lanka’s ears perked up at the sound of the no-ball siren. In the nick of time, Asitha Fernando and Mahesh Theekshana scored two runs off the third delivery of the final over. As a result of their victory over Bangladesh, Sri Lanka moved on to the Super 4 round of the Asia Cup as per latest international cricket news.

The Sri Lankan team’s unbelievable run of good fortune in this crucial match prompted wild cheers and laughter in the locker room. In his first Twenty20 International, Asitha blasted two fours in the final four balls and then hit the ball into long-on for the two runs that won the game.

Dasun Shanaka, the Sri Lankan captain, hit 45 off of 33 balls, including three fours and two sixes, giving Bangladesh reason to hope in the 18th over when he was dismissed by Mahedi. Sri Lanka scored 17 runs in Ebadot Hossain’s 19th over, but they also lost the dangerous Chamika Karunaratne when he was run out by a direct hit from Shakib Al Hasan.

Sri Lanka won, and it looked destined to do so when Kusal Mendis scored 60 off of 37 balls despite losing four lives. He hit seven fours and three sixes.

After a rocky start from Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was playing his first T20I in four years, Bangladesh’s batting performance was solid, with Afif Hossain scoring 39 off 22 balls.

The risk taken by Mehidy pays off –

Against this backdrop, Sabbir, returning to the top level after an absence of three years, scooped the first ball he faced to the fine-leg boundary. After Mehidy survived Sabbir’s departure in the third over, he smashed two sixes in quick succession—one down the ground and another high behind the wicket—while keeping his bat in the air and on his toes. Bangladesh reached 55 for 1 in the Powerplay thanks in large part to his two fours in the opening six overs. A short time later, Mehidy was out, bowled while attempting a slog shot off Wanindu Hasaranga

Sri Lanka has been able to maintain their momentum thanks to the wickets –

Bangladesh’s strong start was matched by Sri Lanka’s ability to keep gaining scalps. After Mehidy was dismissed in the previous over (the seventh), Mushfiqur Rahim was the next batsman to be dismissed (in the eighth over).

In the tenth over, as Shakib attempted to keep the run rate flowing at the other end, he hammered three fours off of Karunaratne. As a result of one of them, he became only the second player in the history of Twenty20 cricket to ever score 6,000 runs in a match while also taking more than 400 wickets. However, in the eleventh over, Mahesh Theekshana took him out, which further slowed down Bangladesh’s momentum just as they appeared to be on the upswing.

At a critical juncture, Afif is able to offer Bangladesh with a boost –

For the fifth wicket, Mahmudullah and Afif Hossain scored 59 runs, which included five fours, three sixes, and a combined total of three sixes. Afif hit Hasaranga for a four and a slog-swept six in the 13th over, and then in the over that followed, Mahmudullah whacked the same bowler for two slog-swept sixes and a smash inside-out, high over extra-cover. Afif struck Hasaranga for a four and a slog-swept six in the 13th over. In the following over, which was Afif’s second of the match, he hit Fernando for a six, and then he scooped him for four runs.

When they were trying to slog the ball into the deep leg-side field, they came into contact with each other within four balls of each other. The final over that Asitha bowled resulted in the scoring of 17 runs, largely due to the contributions of Mosaddek Hossain, who hit two fours, and Taskin Ahmed, who hit a six over long off.

After getting off to a good start, Ebadot gives his response –

Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka were both dismissed by Ebadot Hossain in his first over of Twenty20 Internationals, which salvaged Bangladesh’s powerplay at a time when Sri Lanka appeared to be running away with the game. Both hits occurred after grounders were batted into play. After scoring six runs and two fours, Nissanka pulled a catch to midwicket, and Asalanka’s attempt to clear mid-off was successful in being caught.

Ebadot was able to remove Danushka Gunathilaka from the game in the eighth over of the innings courtesy to a spectacular catch made by Taskin, who had advanced from deep fine leg to take the ball. Taskin was so excited by the catch that it motivated him to get rid of Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the next over. He did this by capturing Bhanuka Rajapaksa at deep third on a ramp that he had botched.

The good fortune of Mendis –

How many times can a hitter get out in a Twenty20 International inning? Inquire of Mendis. In the course of his 37-ball stay, he managed to avoid elimination on four separate occasions. Mushfiqur, the keeper, took him off of Taskin while he was on 2. He was then caught behind off in the seventh over, but the no-ball siren sounded, allowing Mendis to keep batting at 29. The next over he swung at an Ebadot delivery and got a little glove. Bangladesh failed to send it up for review because neither the bowler nor wicketkeeper Mushfiqur was certain.

Sabbir had another opportunity to take out the wickets when Mendis, who was on 44, and Shanaka became entangled with each other. However, he was standing at least a foot away from the crease, which prevented him from doing so. Taskin had a terrific day overall, finishing with 2 for 24 in four overs, but his team’s performance was negatively impacted as a result of his exuberance. The two catches were the only exceptions.