Tamim ton leads Bangladesh to 90-run win
It was Bangladesh’s fifth victory against Sri Lanka in the 50-over format, and its first since 28 March, 2013, when it had won by three wickets in Pallekele.
Tamim had powered Bangladesh to 324 for 5, and Sri Lanka could only put together 234 before being bowled out in 45.1 overs at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. The visiting side’s pacers combined for six wickets to help the side take a crucial 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Mashrafe Mortaza, the captain, trapping Danushka Gunathilaka lbw off the third ball of the chase set the tone for Bangladesh to dominate. From then on, Sri Lanka never managed to catch up with the required run-rate, and the pressure of the steep chase led to wickets falling regularly during the innings.
Dinesh Chandimal, who came in to bat in the sixth over with Sri Lanka in trouble at 15 for 2, tried to resist with a hard-fought half century but ran out of support. By the time he was dismissed for 59, caught by Soumya Sarkar off Mehdi Hasan’s bowling, Sri Lanka had slipped to 121 for 5 in 28.5 overs.
Thisara Perera’s late cameo, during which he hit 55 off 35 balls with the help of four boundaries and two sixes, did help the home side finish at a more respectable position but it was not going to be enough to get the team over the line.
Mustafizur Rahman cleaned up the tail with figures of 3 for 56, and Mortaza finished with 2 for 35. On a pitch where pacers dominated, Mehdi did well to grab 2 for 43 in ten overs.
Earlier, Tamim made 127 off 142 balls while Shakib Al Hasan and Sabbir Rahman hit a half-century each, helping the visiting side put up its highest ever ODI score against Sri Lanka, going well past the 265 for 9 scored back in the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 in Mohali.
Tamim, who struck 15 fours and a six on the way to his eighth ODI century, put on 144 runs with Shakib for the fourth wicket, which is Bangladesh’s best-ever partnership against Sri Lanka.
Shakib hit 72 off 71 balls and just when it looked like he was heading towards a century, he swept a Suranga Lakmal delivery from wide outside the off-stump for Lakshan Sandakan at short fine leg to take a catch.
Tamim, who also reached a personal milestone by becoming the first Bangladesh batsman to complete 10,000 international runs, led the batting charge throughout the innings until he fell to Lahiru Kumara in the 48th over.
Bangladesh lost Soumya Sarkar early when he edged Lakmal to Chandimal, the wicketkeeper, for 10.
But Tamim and Sabbir (54 off 56 balls) added 90 runs for the second wicket to bring the innings back on track.
Tharanga took a brilliant reflex catch at short cover to end Sabbir’s aggressive innings which contained 10 fours, three of which came in a single over from Perera.
Sandakan then took a catch off his own bowling to remove Mushfiqur Rahim for one but Shakib joined Tamim to continue Bangladesh’s domination.
The two teams will lock horns for the second ODI at the same venue on Tuesday. The preceding two-Test series between the two sides had ended in a 1-1 draw.
