Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Highlights, 1st T20: Mahmudullah and ...

4 Mar 2024

The Indian Express

Sri Lanka defeat Bangladesh by 3 runs. (X/Sri Lanka Cricket)

BAN vs SL 1st T20 Highlights: Mahmudullah and Jaker Ali scored fighting half centuries but it wasn’t enough for Bangladesh to go over the line as they lost to Sri Lanka by 3 runs. Angelo Mathews, Binura Fernando and Dasun Shanaka shared 2 wickets each as the Bangla Tigers scored 203/8 in a chase of 207.

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh - Figure 1 — Photo The Indian Express

Earlier, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Kusal Mendis scored fifties while Charith Asalanka played a blistering 44 as Sri Lanka posted 206/3 in the 1st T20I at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Monday with both teams looking to build momentum for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

The last time these two teams met in a competitive fixture was back in the 2023 ODI World Cup which was infamous for the time-out dismissal of Lankan batter Angelo Matthews brought on by Bangla skipper Shakib Al Hasan.

Match EndedSri Lanka tour of Bangladesh, 2024 - 1st T20I

Match Ended ( Day - 1st T20I ) Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 3 runs

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Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I Highlights: Catch all the highlights from Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet.

Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews exits after being given 'timed out' while Bangladeshi players celebrate his wicket during the World Cup match in New Delhi, on Monday. (PTI Photo)

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh - Figure 2 — Photo The Indian Express

With both teams out of World Cup semifinal contention, and much of the buildup highlighted by the toxic air around the smog-filled cauldron of the Kotla, the latest edition to the feisty cricket rivalry between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka seemed to be heading down an eventless path midway through the first innings. All of a sudden, it got its moment of animosity.

Angelo Mathews’ timed out dismissal will cause much debate. Over the ‘spirit of cricket’ after Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan appealed for the decision – which was well within the rules – when Mathews seemed to have a problem with his helmet. Over Mathews’s lack of awareness of the rules. Over the rules themselves, as a batsman’s malfunctioning equipment led to his dismissal without facing a ball.

What is not up for debate though is that the episode breathed life into the match, lighting the fire in Sri Lanka’s middle order to toil to a total of 279, thanks to a hard-fought, well-paced ton by Charith Asalanka. But if the victimhood galvanised Sri Lanka, it was Bangladesh, and chiefly Shakib, that were fired up in the role of perceived villainy. (READ MORE)

First uploaded on: 04-03-2024 at 16:34 IST