Twitter Reactions: Mahmudullah blitz stuns Sri Lanka, takes Bangladesh to the finals

Team Sri Lanka locked horns with the visiting Bangladesh side in the all-important penultimate clash of the Nidahas Trophy 2018. The equation for the match was quite simple – the winner would take it all, and the loser would crash out of the tournament. The Indian team had already qualified for the finals, and hence, this final league game turned out to be a virtual semifinal for the two participating sides.

Coming to the game, Bangladesh arrived with sky high confidence. Albeit they had lost their previous game against India, they had the pride of beating Sri Lanka in the previous encounter between the two sides. For the hosts, it was about getting their confidence back. After having won the series opener against India, they had lost their plot big time.

Amidst this backdrop, the two sides faced off in Colombo. In the game, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bowl first. Certainly, they wanted to chase against the opposition they had beaten chasing a few days ago. The move looked very right with the Bangladeshi bowlers cashing in early. Sri Lanka slumped to a horrible position of being 41/5 at one stage in the game.

It was Kusal Perera (61) and Thisara Perera (58) who rebuilt the innings to take Sri Lanka to safety. Their efforts ensured that the hosts posted a decent 159/7 in their stipulated 20 overs. In the run chase, Bangladesh failed to strike partnerships. While they kept losing wickets at one end, Tamim Iqbal (50) held the fort at the other.

After his dismissal, it was down to Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan to keep the run chase alive. 50 runs were needed off the final five overs when the two senior men joined hands at the crease. Shakib failed to deliver but Mahmudullah kept his side interested. He took the game to the final over with 12 runs needed in the final over.

Some serious drama unfolded in the final over with Shakib Al Hasan calling the Bangladeshi batsmen back in the final over. He was unhappy with an altercation the Bangladeshi substitutes had with Thisara Perera. Towards the end, it was Mahmudullah’s whirlwind unbeaten 43 that stunned the hosts. He hit a six to finish things off in style and win the game with two wickets in hand.

Here is how the fans reacted to Bangladesh’s win:

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