On a batting paradise pitch of Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Tigers’ top order batters showed awful display, as Bangladesh had to suffer heartbreaking three runs defeat in a pulsation encounter in the first T20 of three-match series on Monday.
Riding on a splendid show off from Mahmudullah Riyad and the debutant Jaker Ali Anik at the middle, Bangladesh could make it a neck and neck fight with keeping hope alive up to last ball of the match.
Though the visiting Sri Lankan team had the last laugh but they had to wait up to last ball, as the Tigers were halted just on three runs away to reach the winning target.
However, now there would be so many talking and criticism with the failures of the hosts batters, specially the top orders’ responsibilities.
It’s very much true, team’s success is mostly depends on the top order batters, if they failed, it becomes very difficult to win a match and most of the time teams have to suffer defeats. Though sometimes the tale enders, followed by some good knocks from the middle orders could make some surprising results, but it does not happen very often. The late order batters can fight capitalizing the top orders’ or the middle order batters’ dependable innings.
But in the first match of the three-match T20 series, the debacle of the Tigers’ top orders were not at all expected, which was too much despondent, as the team had to suffer three runs defeat due to their awful batting display.
When the Sri Lankan four batters (opener Avishka Fernando was out for four runs) completed 20 overs with scoring 206 runs, Tigers’ four top order batters contributed only 40 runs before being out including the team’s captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto. Amon the Tigers top order batters, Litton Das was out for a duck before opening the team’s account, Soumya Sarkar scored 12, Nazmul Hassan Shanto 20 and Towhid Hridoy scored eight runs.
After the disappointing performances from the top order batters, at the middle Mahmudullah Riyad and Jaker Ali showed some of their mettle and kept Bangladesh on contest up to last of the ball.
Mahmudullah Riyad scored 54 off 31 balls with two fours and four sixes when the debutant Jaker Ali smacked 68 off 32 balls when he struck four boundaries and six over boundaries.
Meanwhile, among the Sri Lankan top orders (apart from the opener Avishka Fernando), opener Kushal Mendis along with one down Kamindu Mendis scored 33 runs in second wicket stand to repair the early damage of losing opener Avishka Fernando for four runs on the board.
Taskin Ahmed, though made the second breakthrough with sending back Kamindu Mendis, the other Kusal Mendis continued his domination over the bowlers along with Sadeera Samarawickrama.
Kusal Mendis scored 59 runs off 36 balls with hitting three sixes and six fours and got out after giving a strong stand for the next batters to fight, as Sri Lanka reached to 133 runs for three wickets by 14.4 overs as the third wicket partners hit a rapid 96 runs in 10.1 overs.
The fourth wicket stand Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka remained unbeaten with scoring 73 runs from last 32 deliveries when the former scored 61 off 48 balls and the latter smacked 44 off 21 balls with six sixes to throw a big challenge for the hosts to win the match with scoring 206 runs.