Yet another chapter was written into the story of subcontinental cricket’s most engrossing rivalry, in which Bangladesh came away deserved winners against Sri Lanka, winning by three wickets and, crucially, 53 deliveries in Delhi. The margin of victory means Bangladesh have leapfrogged Sri Lanka on the points table on net run-rate, while Bangladesh, Netherlands and Sri Lanka are all on four points and all three – and England – are still vying for the two remaining spots at the 2025 Champions Trophy.
This, though, was a game where a solitary incident overshadowed all else. The now customary controversy associated with the “Naagin Derby” was this time a historic first, as Angelo Mathews was dismissed timed out – the first instance of the rare dismissal in international cricket.
The incident took place midway through Sri Lanka’s innings after Mathews’ faulty helmet strap meant that it had been over two minutes since the fall of the previous wicket without the new batter being ready to take strike Shakib Al Hassan appealed. Mathews was out.
According to the tournament playing conditions: “After the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless Time has been called, be ready to receive the ball, or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within 2 minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, Timed out.”
An incensed Mathews was sent back, and Sri Lanka played the rest of the game with a chip on their shoulder. But to focus solely on that would take away from a solid all-round effort from Bangladesh, and from Shakib.
On a belter of a batting surface, Bangladesh had sent Sri Lanka in to bat and then limited them to a sub-par 279. The pacy young Tanzim Hasan went for 80 in his ten overs, largely because of Charith Asalanka – whose 105-ball 108 would go in vain – taking the attack to him, but he picked up three wickets, including the key wickets of Pathum Nissanka and Asalanka himself.
The rest of the bowlers, though, ensured Sri Lanka were not allowed to cut loose, and aided by some loose batting, they kept their opponents well in check.
Then a 169-run third-wicket stand between Shakib and Najmul Hossain Shanto underpinned their chase, even as Sri Lanka became the first side this World Cup to truly struggle with the evening dew. The bowlers struggled with control, while some dropped catches didn’t help their cause either.
When the partnership was eventually broken, the requirement was just 70, but Sri Lanka kept picking up wickets to make for a nervy finish. Bangladesh, however, bat deep and they kept their cool to secure a hard-fought win.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka 279 in 49.3 overs (Charith Asalanka 108, Pathum Nissanka 41, Sadeera Samarawickreme 41, Dhananjaya de Silva 34, Maheesh Theekshana 22; Tanzim Hasan Sakib 3-80, Shoriful Islam 2-52, Shakib Al Hasan 2-57) lost to Bangladesh 282/7 in 41.1 overs (Litton Das 23, Najmul Hossain Shanto 90, Shakib Al Hasan 82, Mahmudukkah 22; Dilshan Madushanka 3-69, Maheesh Theekshana 2-44, Angelo Mathews 2-35)by three wickets
(Cricinfo)
