This victory allowed Bangladesh to surpass Sri Lanka in the points table on net run-rate, with both teams now holding four points.
NEW DEHLI: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Nov 6th, 2023) In a compelling clash between two subcontinental cricket rivals, Bangladesh emerged as the deserving victors against Sri Lanka, securing a three-wicket win at Dehli cricket ground on Monday.
It was the 38th match of the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
This victory allowed Bangladesh to surpass Sri Lanka in the points table on net run-rate, with both teams now holding four points. The competition remains fierce for the remaining two spots at the 2025 Champions Trophy, as England and the Netherlands are also in contention.
However, this match was dominated by a solitary incident that overshadowed the cricketing action. The so-called "Naagin Derby" was marred by a historic occurrence as Angelo Mathews was dismissed for a timed out, marking the first instance of this rare dismissal in international cricket. This incident occurred during Sri Lanka's innings when Mathews' faulty helmet strap caused a delay of over two minutes since the fall of the previous wicket, rendering the new batter unprepared to take strike. Shakib Al Hasan appealed, leading to Mathews' dismissal, in accordance with the tournament's playing conditions.
An infuriated Mathews was sent back, and the incident left Sri Lanka with a sense of grievance throughout the game. However, it is important not to focus solely on this incident, as it would detract from Bangladesh's overall solid performance and Shakib's exceptional contribution.
On a batting-friendly pitch, Bangladesh decided to field first and restricted Sri Lanka to a below-par score of 279. The young pacer Tanzim Hasan, despite conceding 80 runs in his ten overs, managed to take crucial wickets, including those of Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka. The rest of the bowling unit maintained control, preventing Sri Lanka from scoring freely.
In response, a 169-run third-wicket partnership between Shakib and Najmul Hossain Shanto anchored Bangladesh's chase. Sri Lanka struggled with evening dew, and their bowlers struggled for control, while missed catches added to their woes. Although Sri Lanka managed to pick up wickets towards the end, Bangladesh's deep batting lineup and composure secured a hard-fought victory.
Sri Lanka was primarily responsible for their own downfall on a pitch conducive to batting. Kusal Perera's early dismissal was followed by a 61-run partnership between Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, who struggled for form. Mendis, in particular, appeared out of sorts during his innings.
Sri Lanka's fortunes briefly improved with Asalanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama's partnership. However, Samarawickrama's dismissal was a turning point in the innings, leading to Mathews' entry and eventual timed-out dismissal. Sri Lanka then formed two significant partnerships in the later stages, but it was insufficient to change the game's outcome.
Asalanka, who played a remarkable innings, was guilty of dropping a crucial catch off Shakib when the latter was on seven. Nevertheless, Shakib had the last laugh, scoring 75 more runs and outperforming Mathews. Despite Mathews dismissing Shanto, Sri Lanka's late wickets were too little and too late, as Bangladesh sealed the victory with some powerful strokes.
Playing XIs:
Bangladesh: 1 Litton Das, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk) 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Towhid Hridoy , 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Tanzim Hasan, 11 Shoriful Islam
Sri Lanka: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kusal Mendis (capt, wk), 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Dhananjaya de Silva, 8 Maheesh Theekshana, 9 Kasun Rajitha, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Dilshan Madushanka
