Sumon Mustafa, Chottogram: Despite an outstanding innings by Mahedi Hasan, Bangladesh fell short against Sri Lanka, resulting in the series being tied at 1-1. Sri Lanka clinched victory by three wickets in the second One Day International (ODI), leveling the series.
Bangladesh posted a total of 286 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 50 overs, with Mahedi Hasan top-scoring with an impressive 96 runs.
However, Sri Lanka comfortably chased down the target, securing victory with seven balls to spare. Nissanka played a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s chase, anchoring the innings.
Sri Lanka’s innings got off to a strong start with Shariful Islam dismissing Avishka Fernando early on. However, Kushal Mendis’ aggressive innings added pressure on the Bangladesh bowlers before Taskin Ahmed sent him back to the pavilion.
Despite losing two wickets early, Sri Lanka managed to build a solid partnership between Nissanka and Asalanka, which proved decisive in the match. Their partnership of 185 runs set the stage for Sri Lanka’s victory.
After Nissanka’s dismissal for 114 runs, Bangladesh managed to take a couple more wickets, including Asalanka’s dismissal for 88 runs.
Taskin Ahmed became the eighth Bangladeshi bowler to claim 100 wickets in ODIs when he dismissed Asalanka. Sri Lanka ultimately reached the target with two wickets in hand.
Earlier, Bangladesh lost the toss and struggled with their batting, losing early wickets. The partnership between Najmul Hossain Shanto and Soumya Sarkar showed some promise, but it wasn’t enough to propel Bangladesh to a competitive total.
In Sri Lanka’s bowling attack, Wanindu Hasaranga proved to be the most effective bowler, claiming four wickets and disrupting Bangladesh’s middle order.
However, Mahedi Hasan’s resilient innings kept Bangladesh in the game for a significant period.
The series is now evenly poised with both teams preparing for the crucial third and final ODI match to determine the series winner.
Before their batting innings, Bangladesh suffered an early setback as Liton Das fell without scoring a run. However, a solid partnership between Najmul Hasan Shanto and Soumya Sarkar provided some stability to the innings.
Sarkar’s departure after scoring a brisk half-century further dented Bangladesh’s chances of setting a challenging total. Despite efforts to rebuild the innings, Bangladesh kept losing wickets at regular intervals, ultimately falling short of a competitive total.
Sri Lanka’s bowling attack led by Wanindu Hasaranga kept the pressure on Bangladesh throughout the innings, with Hasan Ali claiming crucial wickets at crucial junctures.
Now, all eyes are on the series-deciding third ODI match, which promises to be a thrilling encounter between the two evenly matched teams.