ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Pathum Nissanka became the quickest Sri Lankan batter to reach 2,000 T20 runs as the opener sprinted his team to a six-wicket win over Bangladesh in a crucial Asia Cup match on Saturday.
Nissanka perfectly manipulated the line and lengths of the Bangladeshi bowlers to score 50 off 34 balls and Sri Lanka breezed to 140-4 in a strong start to its campaign.
Bangladesh, which handed Hong Kong a seven-wicket drubbing in its first Group B game, recovered from a horror start to score 139-5 after it lost both openers to fast bowler Nuwan Thushara and Dushmantha Chameera’s successive wicket maidens with the new ball.
Nissanka batted fluently and scored six fours and a six as he reached the 2,000-run landmark in his 68th T20 innings when he completed his half century. Kusal Perera had the previous Sri Lanka record, achieving the feat in 76 innings.
Nissanka fell soon after his entertaining 95-run stand with Kamil Mishara (46 not out) had all but sealed the game, when Shoriful Islam held on to a spectacular two-handed catch at deep backward square leg.
Bangladesh had to pay a heavy price of dropping Mishra on 1 when Mahedi Hassan couldn’t hold on to a two-handed catch close to the 30-meter circle at wide mid-on. Although Perera and Dasun Shanaka also perished quickly while going for big shots, Mishara’s unbeaten knock of 32 balls ensured Sri Lanka finished off the game with more than five overs to spare.
Earlier, after being put into bat, Shamim Hossain (42) and Jaker Ali (41) helped Bangladesh recover from a disastrous start in the second half of their innings when they combined in a 86-run unbroken stand off 61 balls.
Wanindu Hasaranga made an impactful return to international cricket with figures of 2-25 after missing the last series against Zimbabwe due to a hamstring injury. The leg-spinner should have had the wicket of Jaker in his eventful second over only to see his sharp googly grazing the off stump after going through the defenses of the batter, but both bails stayed on the stumps.
Hasaranga’s sharp spinning deliveries and the twin strikes of Thushara and Chameera saw Bangladesh slump to 53-5 in the 10th over when captain Litton Das (28) was out leg before wicket while attempting reverse sweep against Hasaranga.
Chameera bowled some impressive yorkers in the death overs and finished with identical figures of 4-1-17-1 with Thushara. Shamim hit the lone six in Bangladesh’s otherwise defensive innings when he smacked the only off-color Sri Lanka bowler — Matheesha Pathirara (0-42) — over midwicket.
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