Dubai: Bangladesh opened their Super Four campaign at the Asia Cup with a dramatic four-wicket win over Sri Lanka, thanks to stellar death bowling from Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed, followed by crucial half-centuries from Saif Hassan and Towhid Hridoy.
Death bowling turns the game
Sri Lanka looked set for a big total at the end of the 18th over, standing at 153/4 with skipper Dasun Shanaka accelerating. However, Mustafizur Rahman swung momentum back by taking three wickets while conceding just five runs in the penultimate over. Taskin Ahmed then held his nerve in the final over, giving away 10 runs to restrict Sri Lanka to 168/7.
Bangladesh skipper Litton Das lauded his pacers at the post-match presentation, saying, “We know how dangerous Mustafizur is. Mustafizur and Taskin, in the last two overs, changed the game. It looked like 190, and they kept it down. Taskin bowled a really good final over.”
Sri Lanka’s innings: Shanaka leads late charge
After winning the toss and opting to bowl, Bangladesh struck early but Sri Lanka’s top order made brisk contributions. Pathum Nissanka scored 22 off 15, and Kusal Mendis hit 34 off 25 before both fell. Reduced to 97/4 by the 14th over, Sri Lanka recovered through Shanaka’s counter-attack. His powerful hitting, including a six in the final overs, pushed the total to a competitive 168/7. Charith Asalanka chipped in with a quick 21 off 12 balls.
Besides Mustafizur’s match-defining 3/20, Mahedi Hasan took two wickets and Taskin Ahmed added one.
Bangladesh’s chase: partnerships seal it
Bangladesh’s reply started shakily as Tanzid Hasan was dismissed early. Litton Das and Saif Hassan steadied the innings with a 59-run stand, before Saif combined with Towhid Hridoy for a 54-run partnership that put Bangladesh in control.
Saif top-scored with 61 from 45 balls, striking two fours and four sixes, while Hridoy’s 58 off 37 balls featured four boundaries and two sixes. However, late wickets created tension as Bangladesh slipped from 159/3 to 168/6 in the final over.
In the end, Shamim Hossain (14*) and Nasum Ahmed (1*) held their nerve to guide the team home with one ball to spare.
Captains react
Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka admitted his side was short of runs: “We could have done better in the last two overs. We were 10-15 runs short. Dasun Shanaka batted really well, but we fell just short.”
Bangladesh captain Litton Das credited his side’s composure, adding that his team must now prepare for their next challenge against India on 24 September.
Conclusion
With this win, Bangladesh have made a strong start in the Super Four stage, demonstrating depth in both bowling and batting. For Sri Lanka, missed opportunities in the final overs with the bat proved costly in a nail-biting contest that went down to the last ball.