In a thrilling encounter at the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka emerged victorious by 5 wickets against Bangladesh in the second match held at Pali Kele, Sri Lanka. The game saw twists and turns as both teams displayed their cricketing prowess.
Bangladesh’s skipper, Shakib Al Hasan, won the toss and elected to bat first. Unfortunately for Bangladesh, their batting lineup struggled to find its footing against the Sri Lankan bowlers. The entire Bangladesh team was dismissed for a total of 164 runs in 42.4 overs. Mohammad Naeem managed to score 25 runs before being dismissed, while Tanzeed Hasan contributed only 4 runs. Shakib-ul-Hasan, the captain himself, could only muster 5 runs before falling victim to Sri Lanka’s Mendis. However, a standout performance from Najam Al Hussain saw him scoring an impressive 89 runs. Tawhid chipped in with 20 runs, Muhammad Naeem scored 16 runs, and Mushfiqur Rahim added 13 runs. Sri Lankan bowlers Mathisha Pathirana and Mahesh Thekshana were the key performers, taking 4 and 2 wickets respectively.
Chasing a target of 165 runs, Sri Lanka faced its own set of challenges. Siddira Samarawakarma displayed resilience and skill, contributing 54 runs with the help of 6 fours. Other batsmen such as Patham Nissanka (14), Kaushal Mendes (5), Dhananjaya De Silva (2), and Karunaratne (1) made their contributions to the chase. However, it was Chiruth Asalanka’s unbeaten knock of 62 runs and Dawson Shanaka’s not-out score of 14 runs that ultimately secured victory for the Sri Lankan team.
Bangladesh’s bowling effort was led by Shakib Al Hasan, who claimed 2 wickets, while Tasin Ahmad, Shariful Islam, and Mehdi Hasan took one wicket each.
In the opening match of the Asia Cup 2023, Pakistan displayed dominance by defeating Nepal with a convincing margin of 238 runs in a game played in Multan yesterday. The tournament promises more exciting cricketing action as teams compete for supremacy in this prestigious event.
