Tamim out of Asia Cup

Star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who had initially opted to sit out the Sri Lanka series owing to fitness issues, joined the Bangladesh Test squad on Thursday ahead of their second and final match against the Lankans in Chattogram on Saturday. Having already suffered a 328-run thumping in the first Test in Sylhet, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto would be delighted to have the all-rounder available for the crucial contest. Shakib returned to the longer format after nearly a year-long absence. He last played a Test against Ireland in Mirpur in April last year and has not even played any longer-version domestic cricket since then. Photos: Rajib Raihan

Rubel Hossain is known for blowing hot and cold in a career spanning over a decade. Prone to err in the death overs, the right-arm pacer with a slinging action perhaps bowled his best ten overs in the one-day international against India in the Asia Cup final on Friday. His figures of 10-2-26-2 was a demonstration of how well he bowled in Dubai. He had Ravindra Jadeja caught in the 48th over, which was his last over, to create that window for a late twist in a pulsating final that Bangladesh lost off the last ball of the game.  

Bangladesh snapped out of their losing streak when they clinched their first bilateral ODI series in 10 months with a series-clinching four-wicket win in their third and final ODI against Sri Lanka in Chattogram yesterday. A century, a collision while fielding, a concussion substitute, a whirlwind innings, and a petty act of dragging the past -- the final match of the three-match series had produced a number of memorable moments.

Tigers' commendable start

The toss went Sri Lanka's way but the visitors suffered early after deciding to bat first. Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed got the ball talking, pegging back the Lankans by removing both their openers inside 3.5 overs. Mustafizur Rahman, returning to the side after sitting out the first two matches, joined the party. Spinners Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Rishad Hossain also had their say as Sri Lanka were reduced to 154-7.

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Liyanage's resolve

It was Janith Liyanage's resolve that eventually helped Sri Lanka reach a competitive total of 235 all out in 50 overs. Liyanage walked in at number six, with Sri Lanka in a spot of bother at 74 for four. Lending his side some stability, he stitched a 43-run fifth-wicket stand with Charith Asalanka before the latter departed in the 25th over. Liyanage soon lost two more partners. Burdened with the weight of carrying the Lankan innings, Liyanage forged an innings-defining 60-run eighth-wicket stand with Maheesh Theekshana and stayed unbeaten till the end to score his maiden ODI hundred (101 off 102 balls).

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Chaos ensues

The end of Sri Lanka's innings was utterly chaotic for Bangladesh as the Tigers saw three players injured, two of them stretchered off the field, in the final three overs. Having bowled the first delivery of the 48th over, Mustafizur cramped up badly and had to be stretchered off the field. Soumya Sarkar finished the over but he too hurt himself while fielding in the very next over. While fielding on the boundary, he crashed onto the advertising hoarding, hurting his neck and knee, and was later replaced under concussion substitution rules by Tanzid Hasan Tamim. The other mishap in the field included Anamul Haque Bijoy and Jaker Ali Anik, who was on the field as a substitute fielder. Anamul and Jaker collided trying to take the catch of Pramod Madushan in the penultimate delivery of the innings. Even though Anamul managed to grab the catch, Jaker ended up on a stretcher.

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Concussed blessing?

Tanzid Hasan Tamim would not even have played the game had it not been for Soumya Sarkar's unfortunate collision with the advertising billboard. However, Tamim ended up playing a crucial role in the Tigers' triumph as he capitalised on the opportunity to score a career-best 81-ball 84, laced with nine fours and four maximums. He might rue being dismissed just 16 runs shy of what would have been his maiden ton in Bangladesh colours, but the 23-year-old can rejoice in the fact that he now holds the record for scoring the most runs as a concussed substitute in ODIs. Tamim surpassed Australia's Marnus Labuschange, who had scored 80 runs after coming in as a concussion substitute for Cameron Green in a three-wicket win over South Africa in September last year.

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Rishad storm

Sri Lanka, especially their premier leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, were hit by a storm that they might have not anticipated. The outcome of a four-wicket win with 58 deliveries to spare might be misleading as things got a bit nervy for Bangladesh at one stage of the game. When Rishad walked in, Bangladesh still needed 58 more runs to win after 36.1 overs with no recognised batter left. Rishad was included in the squad for the game considering his abilities with the bat but an 18-ball 48 not out is something no one might have foreseen from the leg-spinner. He started his innings by slog-sweeping Hasaranga over square leg for a maximum and went on to take the Lankans' lead spinner to the cleaners, smashing him for four more sixes and three boundaries. Rishad's only other boundary was hit off a Theekshana delivery.

Photo: Firoz Ahmed

'Timed out' re-enactment

Experienced campaigner Mushfiqur Rahim added further fuel to the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka rivalry as he re-enacted Angelo Matthews' 'timed out' dismissal from the 2023 World Cup during their series-winning celebration with the trophy. As Bangladesh players were standing with the trophy, Mushfiqur carried his helmet and sarcastically complained about the strap getting lose – just like Mathews complained during a World Cup game against the Tigers last year before being the first cricketer ever in international cricket to be ruled as 'timed out'. Even though skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto said after the third T20I that the Lankans had not "moved on" from that incident, it seems like the Bangladesh players themselves are yet to do so.