Photo : Collected
To win their maiden T20I series against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh need to chase a target of 175 in the third match of the three-match series against Sri Lanka on Saturday in Sylhet.
Sri Lanka batted first and posted 174 for seven wickets, thanks to 86 from Kusal Mendis.
The Bangladeshi bowlers started strong, with left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam maintaining tight lines from the outset. However, it was Taskin Ahmed who struck first, claiming the wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva to provide Bangladesh with an early breakthrough.
Despite a resilient effort from the Sri Lankan batters, Bangladesh's Rishad Hossain, the lone legspinner in the squad, managed to dismiss Kamindu Mendis for 12 runs, adding pressure on the visitors.
Kusal emerged as the mainstay of Sri Lanka's innings, mounting a formidable challenge against Bangladesh's bowling attack. He reached his half-century off just 35 balls and seemed destined for a century until Taskin Ahmed intervened, trapping him at 86 off 55 balls. The crucial wicket fell as a result of a well-laid bouncer trap set by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Taskin.
Despite Sri Lanka's efforts to accelerate their scoring rate in the death overs, they lost key wickets at crucial junctures. The dismissals of Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews in the 17th and 18th overs dealt significant blows to their hopes of posting a daunting total.
In the end, Sri Lanka concluded their innings at 174 for seven, scoring 39 runs in the last five overs.
Messenger/Sajib
