Nidahas Trophy 2018, 6th T20I, Review: Mahmudullah takes Bangladesh to the finals after nail-biting finish in Colombo

The stage was all set for the virtual semi-final of the Nidahas Trophy 2018. With team India already qualifying for the finals, the other two sides in the competition – Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – had their task cut out. They had to win the final league game to set up a final date with the Indian side. As the match fared out to be, the visitors managed to eke out a nail-biting win.

It was not a thoroughly convincing win for them though. At one stage, they were in firm command with Sri Lanka losing half their side with less than 50 runs on the board. It was an exceptional batting revival, followed up by a good bowling display that set the tone for the  Sri Lankan resurgence in the game. Much against the saving grace of the tournament, Sri Lanka will not be a part of the tournament that is being played to celebrate their independence.

Earlier in the day, Bangladesh had won the toss and opted to field first. Certainly, they wanted to replicate their heroics of the previous encounter they had against the same opposition. Much to the liking of the visitors, Sri Lanka started off on a horrendous note. The inclusion of Shakib Al Hasan proved to be a big boost for them and he struck early in the innings.

Shakib sent Danushka Gunathilaka cheaply on 4. Mustafizur Rahman joined the party to send the in-form Kusal Mendis (11) back to the pavilion in the fourth over. An over later, a run out saw Upul Tharanga (5) head back to the dugout. Wickets of Dasun Shanaka (0) and Jeevan Mendis (3) only added to the existing cavalcade of the Sri Lankan batsmen. At 41/5 in 8.1 overs, Sri Lanka looked in dire straits.

It was just then that the two Pereras – Kusal Perera and Thisara Perera – joined hands to rebuild the innings. A much needed partnership of 97 runs followed as both batsmen led the counter attack. They reached their individual fifties and more importantly, took their side to safety. The partnership was eventually broken in the penultimate over when Soumya Sarkar dismissed Kusal Perera.

Kusal scored 61 off 40 deliveries with seven fours and a six to his name. Meanwhile, Thisara Perera, who was dismissed in the final over, scored 58 off 37 balls with 3 fours and as many number of sixes. His efforts, combined with that of Kusal Perera, saw Sri Lanka finish with 159/7 in their stipulated 20 overs.

And the run chase

In the run chase, Bangladesh had a troubled start too. Liton Das was dismissed in the second over of the chase by Akila Dananjaya on 0. Sabbir Rahman was promoted up the order as the pinch hitter. The move seemed to work with Sabbir hitting three boundaries up front. But Dananjaya soon got him dismissed on 13. Mushfiqur Rahim, the ace batsman of the side, joined another senior player Tamim Iqbal at the crease.

The two batsmen added 64 runs for the third wicket before Amila Aponso managed to dismiss Rahim on 28 (25). Soumya Sarkar (10) perished soon after. Meanwhile, Tamim reached his fifty in 41 deliveries as Bangladesh crossed the 100-run mark. However, he could not add any more to his tally and was dismissed on the very delivery by Gunathilaka.

50 runs were needed off the final five overs when the two senior men, Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan, joined hands at the crease. While Shakib perished soon, Mahmudullah kept his side in the hunt to bring the equation down to 12 off the final over. Isuru Udana had the ball in hand and Mustafizur Rahman was the man on strike.

The match was a nail-biting one and more drama followed in the final over after Mustafizur got out. The Bangladeshi substitutes exchanged words with Thisara Perera. This miffed Shakib Al Hasan at the boundary ropes and he promptly called the Bangladeshi batsmen back.

Against all the run of play, Mahmudullah hit a four, took a couple, and then hit a six to seal the game for his side. He finished with an unbeaten 43 off 18 deliveries to see Bangladesh home by just 2 wickets.

Brief Scores

Sri Lanka 159/7 in 20 overs (Kusal Perera 61, Thisara Perera 58, Mustafizur 2/39, Shakib 1/9)

Bangladesh 160/8 in 19.5 overs (Tamim 50, Mahmudullah 43*, Dananjaya 2/37, Aponso 1/19)

Player of the Match: Mahmudullah

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