Tiger captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto invited Sri Lanka to flood the batting wicket after winning the toss. In the beginning, Avishka Fernando and Kamindu Mendis gave hope back, but Kushal Mendis and Sadira Samaravikrama's whirlwind half-centuries and skipper Charith Asalanka's tornado innings led the Lankans to ride a mountain of runs. Litton's dismissal in the first over in reply. Soumya, calm and heart that failed to burn in the bat. But Mahmudullah Riyad and Zaker Ali put up a great fight.
Bangladesh lost by just 3 runs in the first T20I against Sri Lanka at the Sylhet International Stadium on Monday (March 4). Despite Zaker Ali and Mahmudullah's amazing batting, the Tigers could not score the required runs in the end.
Bangladesh's record for most run chases in T20 Internationals is against Sri Lanka. Chasing the target of 215 runs set by Sri Lanka in the Nidahas Trophy, Bangladesh won by 5 wickets in the last over. Liton Das played a great innings of 43 runs off just 19 balls that day. Lyton departed before opening the run book after going down to bat with a target of 207 runs today.
Another opener Soumya (12) departed with the team 21 runs behind. Farewell to Tawheed Hriday (8) after 30 runs. Kandari Shanto and Mahmudullah managed disaster with a partnership of 38 runs, but Shanto's innings increased the pressure of the team's asking run rate. He scored only 20 runs off 22 balls. Riyad-Zaqer Ali's fight started from here. Returning to the team after 17 months, Riyad started the innings by hitting a six. He batted very aggressively the rest of the time. Rangan returned to the team with a half-century.
The pair added 47 runs off 27 balls. Riyad completed his half century with 27 balls. After that, however, it did not last. Thiksaner got out with 54 runs off 31 balls with 2 fours and 4 sixes.
After Riyad's departure, Zaker Ali continued to show hope for the Tigers. Although he has played for the national team in the Asian Games before, this match is the real debut of Zaker who shines for Comilla Victorians. This local boy made the spectators present in the field of Sylhet happy by hitting 6 sixes one by one.
Mehdi Hasan, who scored 16 runs from 11 balls, left the team at 180 runs. 27 runs needed from 13 balls to win. Zaker's responsibility is to finish the match. Pathirana scored 15 runs in the 19th over. Bangladesh need 12 runs to win from the last 6 balls. Rishad Hasan departed on the first ball of the 20th over. The second ball is wide by the bowler. The next ball, Taskin took a single and gave it to Zaker. But the forehead is bad. Shanaka's ball was picked up at long-on and caught by the fielder. Zaker departed after playing a sparkling innings of 68 runs off 34 balls, 4 fours and 6 sixes.
Bangladesh set a target of 12 runs to win the last three balls. Shariful Islam hit a four off the fourth ball. If he took a single on the fifth ball, the target for Bangladesh was 5 runs in the last ball to win. But Taskin can only take 1 run. Bangladesh lost by 3 runs.
Angelo Mathews, Binura Fernando and Dasun Shanaka took 2 wickets each for Sri Lanka. Besides, Mahesh Thiksana and Mathisha Pathirana got 1 wicket each.
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