New Delhi,March 21 (Ibnlive.com) Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar asked Sri Lanka to bat first on winning the toss in a Group B match at Queen's Park Oval at Port of Spain, Trinidad on Wednesday.
Veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya took first guard with Upul Tharanga, while Bangladesh’s pace spearhead Mashrafe Mortaza took the new ball in the battle of the teams from the sub-continent.
Sri Lanka survived an early scare in the fourth over as Bangladeshi bowler Syed Rasel couldn’t hit the stumps to get Tharanga out, who was backing up a fair distance for a sharp single.
From then on, the Sri Lankans raced away during the field restrictions, with Jayasuriya coming into his own and Tharanga holding fort.
Jayasuriya got stuck into the Bangladeshi bowlers, hitting five fours and four sixes to bring up his 50 from 43 balls, but left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique’s introduction got the first breakthrough with the score on 98, Tharanga getting out for 26.
Captain Mahela Jayawardene joined Jayasuriya in the middle only to keep the scoring ways going. But heavy showers intervened after 24 overs with Sri Lanka on 136 for one in what has been the best start so far in the tournament.
Though play resumed, Jayasuriya’s surge was halted once again as he left the field in great discomfort after twisting his knee while taking a run in the 25th over. He was on 83. But fielding lapses from the Bangladeshis were abundant, letting the Lankans loose thereafter.
Jayawardene was out trying to go for a heave one too many for a laborious 46, Chamara Silva, along with Kumar Sangakkara, upped the tempo with a flurry of boundaries. But some tight bowling by the Bangladeshis towards the end of the innings pegged them back as Sangakkara went back for 56 from 55 balls.
Bangladesh are coming from the back of an upset win over the more fancied Indians, while Sri Lanka trounced opponents Bermuda by 243 runs.
After India's shock five-wicket loss to Bangladesh, the results of other matches hold as much interest for India as those featuring their own teams.
Teams:
Bangladesh: Shahriar Nafees, Tamim Iqbal, Aftab Ahmed, Saqibul Hasan, Habibul Bashar (captain), Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Syed Rasel.
Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene (Captain), Chamara Silva, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Russel Arnold, Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, M Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga.
Umpires: Steve Davis (Australia) and Daryl Harper (Australia).
TV umpire: Ian Howell (South Africa); Match referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand); Reserve umpire: Aleem Dar (Pakistan).