Sports
Sri Lanka post challenging 206 batting first
Half-centuries by Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama helped Sri Lanka to a commanding 206 for three in the first T-20 International against Bangladesh in Shylet yesterday.
Bangladesh put Sri Lanka into bat after winning the toss and the tourists with good momentum behind them went on to put up the challenging total.
Despite losing Avishka Fernando in the first over of the innings, Kusal Mendis and Kamindu Mendis added 33 in 25 balls but it was the arrival of Sadeera Samarawickrama that gave momentum to the innings.
Mendis and Sadeera added 96 runs in 61 balls as they picked the boundaries frequently. Back-to-back sixes by Mendis brought up Sri Lanka’s 100 and his half-century. It was his 13th 50 in T-20 Internationals.
Sadeera went on to top scorer with 61 off 48 balls that contained eight fours and one six. It was his second half-century in T-20 Internationals and his career best score.
Sadeera has been a real find for the team since making his comeback and has done well holding the innings together.
There were some concerns with captain Wanindu Hasaranga injured as to how Sri Lanka were going to finish their innings. Hasaranga had played as the floater during the Afghanistan innings and had given the team some valuable runs.
Stand in captain Charith Asalanka made sure that his team did not have to worry about anything taking on the Bangladeshi pacies with some clean hitting.
Asalanka, leading the side for the first time, finished unbeaten on 44 that came off 21 balls and there were six sixes in his innings.
The third wicket partnership between Asalanka and Sadeera was worth 73 runs and came in only 33 balls. It was perfect finish as 24 runs were scored in the last over.
There was a considerable amount of grass on the track and although fast bowlers had some purchases earlier on in the innings, it turned out to be a belter as the game progressed.
Sri Lanka are in Bangladesh for a multi format series. After the T-20s, they will play three ODIs and two Test matches.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka
203-3 (20) (Kusal Mendis 59, Sadeera Samarawickrama 61*, Charith Asalanka 44*, Rishad Hossain 1-32) vs Bangladesh
Toss:
Bangladesh
Playing just his second Test and the first in his team’s starting XI, Pasindu Sooriyabandara made Sri Lanka dream of the rarest of possibilities, but reality imposed itself on the SSC late on day four as India regained their grip on a Test match that had seemed to spiral out of control after the threat of bad weather led them to enforce the follow-on.
After Sooriyabandara put on 58 with Kamil Mishara for the second wicket and 115 with Kamindu Mendis for the third, Sri Lanka were at one stage 209 for 3, or just four runs behind with seven second-innings wickets in hand, on a day-four pitch that was still looking excellent for batting. India’s bowlers were into their 149th over across two consecutive innings, and looking short of both penetration and inspiration against a top order that had never allowed them to settle into their lengths.
Just then, however, Manav Suthar, who had borne the brunt of Sri Lanka’s positive intent, dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva and then Sooriyabandara in the space of two overs, the latter out eight short of a maiden Test hundred. Soon after, Saransh Jain trapped Niroshan Dickwella lbw, and Sri Lanka were effectively 5 for 6. By the time rain arrived to bring an early end to the day, Sri Lanka’s seventh-wicket pair had only added a further 11 runs to their tally.
If Sri Lanka still retain any hope going into the final day of this series, it will rest on the shoulders of Sonal Dinusha, batting on 7 in his final innings of a remarkable series. Earlier in the day, he had converted his overnight 85 into his second century of the series, with his only other completed innings bringing him 84.
Scores:
Sri Lanka 290 in 89.4 overs (Pasindu Sooriyabandara 80, Sonal Dinusha 103; Prasidh Krishna 3-52, Manav Suthar 3-85) and 229 for 6 in 72.4 overs (f/o) (Pasindu Sooriyabandara 92, Kamindu Mendis 55, Sonal Dinusha 7*; Manav Suthar 2-81) lead India 503 for 9 dec by 16 runs
[Cricinfo]
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