da realbet： Sri Lanka collapse sensationally after Kusal Mendis’ 20-ball fifty
da pinup bet： Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jul-2025Left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam ripped out Sri Lanka’s middle order after Bangladesh’s batters had scrapped together a workable 248, thanks to gritty half-centuries from Parvez Hossain Emon and Towhid Hridoy.The defining period of Sri Lanka’s chase was the patch between the tenth and 30th overs, when they lost five wickets for 57 runs off 122 balls. Although Janith Liyanage produced a valiant 78 off 85 balls, the lower order was simply left with too much to accomplish. They eventually fell short by 16 runs.Sri Lanka’s loss was despite a scorching 56 off 31 balls by Kusal Mendis, who had smote his way to a 20-ball fifty – the fastest ever for men’s ODIs at this venue, and the fourth fastest ever by a Sri Lanka batter (Kusal is also third on this list). Seam bowler Asitha Fernando had also been impressive, taking 4 for 35 in his nine overs. In fact, Sri Lanka had bowled out Bangladesh as early as the 46th over.But ultimately, Bangladesh put on the more impressive team performance. Though their best batting partnership was worth only 63, Emon, Hridoy and later Tanzim Hasan Sakib made valuable contributions that kept the total ticking even while wickets fell. Sakib’s contribution, a stroke-filled 33 not out off 21 balls, proved invaluable in the end.All told, it was Sri Lanka’s middle-order collapse that defined the outcome. Tanvir, the hero of that passage, had in fact begun quite poorly, conceding 22 runs in his first two overs with Kusal hitting him for three fours and a six. But captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz persisted with him inside the powerplay, and Tanvir rewarded him with Nishan Madushka’s wicket in the tenth over, as the batter sent an outside edge aerially to backward point after Tanvir had beaten him in the flight.His work through the middle overs was much more impressive. He took the key wicket of Kusal, who came down the track hoping to clip through midwicket, only for Tanvir to slip one into his front pad. The lbw appeal was turned down on the field but was reviewed successfully by Bangladesh. Kusal had been easily the most fluent batter on this track.Asitha Fernando picked up 4 for 35•AFP/Getty Images
Next over, Tanvir had Kamindu Mendis chipping tamely to midwicket, the ball perhaps stopping on the batter. Then later, in his final over, he had Dunith Wellalage caught bat-pad. In between the Tanvir wickets, Mehidy and offspin allrounder Shamim Hossain also imposed themselves. Shamim’s economy rate was especially impressive – he gave away only 22 in nine overs, and took the wicket of the in-form Charith Asalanka.Later, Liyanage began to hit out in the company of the tail and found success with his big hits, much to the Khettarama crowd’s joy. He even struck two death-overs sixes down the ground to keep the required rate manageable. Had he batted till the end, Sri Lanka may have won, but Mustafizur Rahman duped him with a slower one and had him caught and bowled with 21 runs to get off 17 balls. Though Dushmantha Chameera had protected his wicket well until that point, this was too much for the last pair.In Bangladesh’s innings, their best partnership came early on. Tanzid Hasan was out edging an Asitha slower ball in the third over, but Emon took the reins in a brisk 63-run partnership to which Najmul Hossain Shanto’s contribution was only 14. Emon preyed on errors of length especially. He hit three sixes, two of them over deep midwicket, and scored 72% of his runs on leg side.Hridoy was more cautious than Emon had been, with Asitha, in particular, taking out other batters in the middle order. But he still prospered mostly square of the wicket, hitting just two offside fours in an innings in which he struck at 73.Shamim and Jaker Ali also scratched out 20s, as Wanindu Hasaranga, Asitha, and Chameera combined through the late middle overs to make regular breakthroughs. No. 8 batter Sakib struck the ball most cleanly of all Bangladesh’s batters as Sri Lanka hunted for the final few wickets. He hit two sixes down the ground off Hasaranga, before Hasaranga caught Mustafizur in front, later in that 46th over of the innings.The victory brought Bangladesh level with Sri Lanka in the three-match series. The decider will be played in Pallekele on Tuesday.
