Bangladesh made it harder than it should have been but, in the end, they got the job done.
With one ball left in the game, Nasum Ahmed nudged a single to seal a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Dubai on Saturday night and give the Tigers a winning start in the Asia Cup Super Fours.
The drama in the final over had hearts racing.
Five were needed off six balls from Dasun Shanaka. Jaker Ali crunched the first delivery for four, scores level. Next ball, bowled. Mahedi Hasan walked in and lasted two balls, edging behind without scoring.
Suddenly, one run from two balls felt like a mountain. Nasum tapped Shanaka’s fifth delivery to point and sprinted, Shamim Hossain diving desperately to make his ground. Relief, not celebration, spilled from the Bangladesh camp.
For most of the chase, it hadn’t looked so tense. After the early loss of Tanzid Hasan for a duck, Saif Hassan and Litton Das counter-punched to put Bangladesh on top. Litton’s brisk 23 ended to Wanindu Hasaranga, but Saif carried on, clearing the ropes four times on his way to 61 from 45 balls.
Towhid Hridoy then grabbed the stage. Calm but brutal when he needed to be, he cracked 58 from 37 balls. His stand with Saif worth 54 runs seemed to have broken Sri Lanka’s grip. Even when Saif departed at 114 for 3, Bangladesh never really looked behind the rate.
Sri Lanka owed their total of 168 for 7 almost entirely to Shanaka, who battered an unbeaten 64 off 37 balls after the top order stuttered.
Bangladesh’s bowlers shared the spoils, Mustafizur Rahman sharp at the death with three wickets for 20, while Mahedi Hasan’s 2 for 25 kept the brakes on through the middle.
Hasaranga did his best to pull things back with the ball, taking 2 for 22, but support was patchy. Nuwan Thushara bled runs, and Dunith Wellalage was treated with little respect.
The victory snaps Sri Lanka’s unbeaten run in the tournament and, more importantly, keeps Bangladesh’s hopes of reaching the final very much alive. For a side often accused of freezing in tight finishes, just getting across the line will feel like a weight off their shoulders.