T20 World Cup: Charith Asalanka powers Sri Lanka to victory against Bangladesh

The game was turned around by a fantastic 86-run stand between Charith Asalanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa for the fifth wicket.

Charith Asalanka plays a shot against Bangladesh. (Image: Twitter)
By Nilavro Ghosh | Oct 24, 2021 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Bangladesh suffered heartbreak as Sri Lanka cruised to a 171 run-chase with seven balls to spare in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Sunday. Charith Asalanka’s unbeaten 80 and brilliant partnership with Bhanuka Rajapaksa proved crucial in the end. The Lankan Lions had a difficult task ahead of them. They lost Kusal Perera in the first over and then collapsed in the middle, losing three wickets in the space of ten balls. Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando were bowled by Shakib Al Hasan, while Wanindu Hasaranga holed out to deep midwicket. Sri Lanka’s chase was veering off course at 79/4. Bangladesh scored 171-4 in 20 overs and Sri Lanka made 172-5 in 18.5 overs.

AN EXCEPTIONAL PARTNERSHIP

The game was turned around by a fantastic 86-run stand between Asalanka and Rajapaksa for the fifth wicket. Throughout the innings, Asalanka was the man to look out for. After the early wicket of Kusal, he was the aggressor, scoring 32 of Sri Lanka’s 54 runs in the powerplay. 

Following that, he made certain that his innings never got stuck in a rut. However, Rajapaksa’s arrival shifted the tide even further. He scored 21 in the 16th over bowled by Saifuddin, perfectly targeting the shorter boundaries and weaker link, and got Sri Lanka almost home before being bowled by Nasum. However, his 53 off 31 balls was enough for Sri Lanka to surpass Bangladesh’s 171.

NAIM, MUSHFIQUR SHINE FOR BANGLADESH

The first innings ebbed and flowed throughout, with two men – Mohammad Naim and Mushfiqur Rahim – scoring contrasting half-centuries that both contributed to Bangladesh reaching an impressive total. Naim’s innings came after Bangladesh lost two quick wickets, as well as a dose of drama. Liton Das hit Lahiru Kumara to extra cover, bringing an end to a 40-run opening stand. 

Following that, the bowler and batsman went head to head before the team and umpires intervened. 

Shakib Al Hasan began with a couple of boundaries but was bowled for 10 by Chamika Karunaratne. Bangladesh needed to be steadied at 56/2, and Naim played the perfect hand, preferring to turn the strike over to Mushfiqur Rahim as much as possible after that.

Rahim’s success was largely due to his ability to play to his strengths against Sri Lanka’s fast-paced attack. When their spinner, Wanindu Hasaranga, went too full, he used his now-favorite sweep to pick boundaries. 

The pacers were mostly full against Rahim, who drilled it to the boundary from deep in the crease. When the lengths were corrected, the lap shot and pull were also successful. He was the dominant figure in a 73-run stand with Naim that propelled Bangladesh to a total of 171.





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