Sub-par Tigers surrender series
The heads hung low, the confidence appeared to have gone down to zero and the killer instinct seemed to have disappeared. Bangladesh’s dismal run continued as they lost the three-match ODI series with a game in hand with Sri Lanka registering a comfortable seven-wicket win in the second ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo yesterday.
Bangladesh were unable to put up any sort of fight in defence of a small total as Sri Lanka chased the target of 239 runs with 37 balls to spare. Opener Avishka Fernando provided a flying start to the home side, top-scoring with 82 off 75 balls.
The experienced Angelo Matthews remained unbeaten on 52 and Kusal Mendis was not out on 41 as Sri Lanka sealed the series in style.
Prior to the series, Bangladesh interim coach Khaled Mahmud was confident about the batting department and stated concern over the bowling but as things have gone in Sri Lanka so far, it is the batting that has emerged as the biggest headache.
Much like the first ODI, the Tigers’ top order fell like a house of cards with Mushfiqur Rahim being the only exception. The dependable batsman smashed a fighting, unbeaten 110-ball 98, which featured six fours and a six.
It was all courtesy of Mushfiqur -- who became the third Bangladesh batsman after Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan to reach 6,000 ODI runs -- that Bangladesh managed to post a respectable 238 for eight.
Mushfiqur would definitely feel unfortunate for not being able to score his eighth ODI hundred as the batsman opted to take a single in the fifth ball of the last over of the innings.
But it was yet another batting failure from the Tigers after electing to bat. Skipper Tamim Iqbal continued his string of poor scores and along with the likes of Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Mithun and Mahmudullah Riyad, failed to provide any sort of resistance.
At one point the Tigers were struggling on 117 for six in the 32nd over but, much like the first ODI when he also scored a half-century, Mushfiqur took the responsibility for the helpless batting department.
He, along with Mehedi Hasan Miraz, added 84 runs for the seventh wicket before the latter was dismissed for 43 off 49 balls.
For the sixth consecutive innings, Tamim was bowled when the left-hander played on to his stumps going for a drive off left-arm seamer Isuru Udana to be dismissed for 19, while Soumya was dismissed in ugly fashion, missing a full toss from Nuwan Pradeep and being trapped leg-before for 11.
Mithun was unable to utilise the opportunity at number three and handed a simple catch at short mid-wicket on 12 off the bowling of Akila Dananjaya. The experienced Mahmudullah then failed to shoulder the responsibility and was bowled for six trying to cut a turning Dananjaya delivery.
It was not just with the bat that the Tigers were toothless. Taking the field to defend the sub-par total, at no point were the bowlers able to put pressure on the Lankan batters.
Much like the batting and bowling, the Tigers’ fielding was also below par yesterday as dropped catches and fielding misses remained a feature of their effort on the field, with Mosaddek Hossain dropping a chance offered by Fernando off the bowling of Taijul Islam when the batsman was on 78 in the 20th over.
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