Sri Lanka and Bangladesh faced each other in the 1st ODI. The game saw a lot of ups and downs. From Najmul Hossain Shanto’s perfect score to quick wicket-taking, fate favored the team of Bangladesh. The Sri Lankan team played well and scored 255 but not well enough to fight the fate of Bangladesh.
The big score of Najmul Hossain:
Bangladesh won the inaugural One Day International (ODI) in Chattogram by six wickets, thanks to Najmul Hossain Shanto’s career-best unbeaten score of 122. Sri Lanka was unable to respond. Despite losing three early wickets, the home team prevailed with 32 balls remaining after Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim combined for an uninterrupted 165 runs at the fifth wicket.
Shanto was well-supported by Mushfiqur, who scored his 49th half-century, which helped the Bangladesh captain dominate Sri Lanka. The two ignored the required rate even and played at their own pace. Shanto reached his second ODI century with a scorcher through the covers, in front of the wicket. He ended it with a boundary.
Bangladesh’s magical trio:
It is the second time that the fast bowlers from Bangladesh have taken nine or more wickets. This is an achievement on its own. Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam, and Taskin Ahmed took three wickets apiece. These three players helped the team a lot. After giving up a solid start by their openers, half-centuries from Janith Liyanage and captain Kusal Mendis allowed Sri Lanka to reach 255.
Sri Lanka used the new ball to retaliate. When Litton Das inside-edged Dilshan Madushanka onto his stumps with the first delivery. Madushanka’s second over ended with Soumya Sarkar falling when he top-edged a straightforward catch to Theekshana at square leg. Bangladesh fell to 23 for 3 in the sixth over as Pramod Madushan joined the fray and removed Towhid Hridoy’s off-stump.
Shanto-Mahmudullah saved the game:
An immediate comeback was achieved by Mahmudullah and Shanto in a fourth-wicket stand. In the ninth over, Mahmudullah attacked Madushanka, clubbing him twice through the covers before brushing him through point. In the next over, Mahmudullah hit his first six as well. However, Mahmudullah’s downfall was sudden. He miscued a hoick towards deep midwicket, where Madushanka made an outstanding catch with a full-length dive to his left. He was also experiencing cramps, so playing for long was not possible for him.
Shanto outshined all:
Sri Lanka may have thought they would get another chance at 92 for 4, but the dew did not aid them. Shanto and Mushfiqur combined to hit six boundaries in their opening seven overs. Mushfiqur began with a square leg sweep, and Shanto then hit Madushan hard and hauled him quickly. Shanto scored fifty off fifty balls. Shanto and Mushfiqur kept the scoreboard running even after they failed to draw any boundaries. In the thirty-third over, Mushfiqur reverse-swept Hasaranga before slog-sweeping him for consecutive fours.
A bad day for Sri Lanka:
Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando provided Sri Lanka a fantastic start in the afternoon, scoring 71 runs in 9.5 overs for the first wicket. Mendis’s well-executed fifty helped to revive Sri Lanka’s innings. Liyanage proved to be an ally, hitting three fours and two sixes to reach the highest score of 67 off 69 balls. After Mendis and Hasaranga fell in rapid succession, Liyanage ran out of partners. Toward the end, Bangladesh’s pacers struck back, especially Taskin and Shoriful, who refused to let the Sri Lankan hitters relax. The Sri Lankan team faced defeat in the end.
