Riding on the tremendous batting effort by Mushfiqur Rahim, Tigers sealed the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka on Tuesday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium with an easy victory by 103 runs in DL method.
The hosts started the series with a 33-run win on Sunday, and now they sealed the series win with one match to play on May 28 at the same venue. It was Bangladesh’s maiden bilateral series win against the Lankans.
This victory helped the Tigers grab the top place of the World Cup Super League points table. The top seven teams of this event will have direct qualification to the World Cup 2023 in India. Bangladesh now have five wins from eight games they have played so far.
The match was hit by rain three times. At the final attempt, 33 minutes were washed away, and Sri Lanka got a new target of 245 runs in 40 overs, with they have already played 38 overs scoring 126 for nine.
In the last two overs, Sri Lanka needed to climb a mountain of 119 runs which eventually remained undone as they ended up scoring only 15 runs with two sixes off the debutant Shoriful Islam who bowled the last over.
Also read: Marvellous Mushfiqur guides Tigers to 246
Sri Lanka ended up on 141 for nine in 40 overs, with Danushka Gunathilaka scoring the highest score of 24 runs.
For Bangladesh, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mustafizur Rahman bagged three wickets each while Shakib Al Hasan took two and Shoriful scalped one.
Mushfiqur was adjudged the player of the match award for his outstanding knock of 125 runs. He was also won the same award in the first game for his 84.
Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first. Like the first game of the series, Bangladesh lost two early wickets as Tamim Iqbal fell for 13 in the second over after having a dream start in the first over, and two balls later, Shakib also backed to the dressing room for a duck. Both the wickets were taken by Dushmantha Chameera.
The onus was on Liton Das to accompany Mushfiqur Rahim for a longer period of time to bring up a big partnership. But failed once again to impress as he fell for 25 off 42.
It was a length ball outside off and turning away. Liton tried to cut it to the boundary but only managed to produce an easy catch to the point region.
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Mosaddek Hossain, the new number five who got the chance for the continuous failure of Mohammad Mithun, disappointed to justify his inclusion. The right-handed batsman contributed 10 off 12.
In the fifth wicket stand, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah Riyad added 87 runs. In the first match, they had posted 109 runs. They came up to rescue the struggling side once again.
The stand came to an end when Mahmudullah fell prey to Lakshan Sandakan for 41. The wicket hunted more by the keeper than the bowler. Mahmudullah went to paddle and the keeper anticipated it and moved to his left to take a one-handed catch.
The rain came in when Bangladesh were batting at 196 for seven in 41.1 overs, with Mushfiqur and Mohammad Saifuddin were unbeaten for 85 and two. The match resumed after a gap spanning 24 minutes. After 14 delivered were bowled after the game resumed, the rain came again and washed 38 minutes off the game.
When the game restarted after the second interruption by the rain, Mushfqiur was batting at 96 off 111 balls. The right-handed batsman took only four balls to reach his ton, flicking Chameera off a four.
Mushfiqur eventually ended up at 125 off 127 balls with 10 fours with Tigers posting 246 for 10 in 48.1 overs.
For Sri Lanka, Chameera and Lakshan Sandakan bagged three wickets each while Isuru Udana took two wickets.