Tigers end six-match losing streak in style

Bangladesh clinched their second win in the ongoing ICC World Cup after they defeated Sri Lanka by three wickets on the back of brilliant half-centuries by Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shakib Al Hasan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Monday.

Najmul made 90 off 111 balls while Shakib scored a blistering knock of 82 off 65 balls as the pair added 169 runs for the third wicket stand - the first 100-run partnership for the Tigers in the ongoing tournament - to set up the victory for them.

Bangladesh then reached 282-7 in 41.1 overs not only to end their six-match losing streak in the tournament but also to keep alive their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 hopes. 

The win was followed by a historical dismissal of Angelo Mathews as he became the first player to be ‘timed out’ in international cricket before Sri Lanka made 279 runs in 49.3 overs.

The onus was on Shakib and Najmul to resurrect the ship as they slipped to 41-2 and the duo did it with utmost precision as they made their opposition bowling attack look pretty ordinary in a wet outfield where they were finding it hard to hold the balls due to dew.

Shakib, who struck 12 fours and two sixes, paid the price of misjudging a cutter of Mathews and ended up getting a top edge.

Mathews, who failed to get sympathy from Shakib when he was timed out, seemed to have taken the revenge for showing him the path of the dressing without letting him play a delivery, though it seemed too late for the Lankans despite his removing Najmul in the following over. 

Mahmudullah scored 22 while Tawhid Hridoy remained not out on 15 runs to take their team over their line and also knocked Sri Lanka out of the tournament.

Earlier, Mathews, who came to bat after the fall of Sadeera Samarawickrama in the 25th over was unable to secure his helmet strap tightly enough and it delayed the resumption of play and as a result, Mathews took more than two minutes to take strike.

Bangladesh skipper Shakib appealed immediately, considering according to the laws of cricket after the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batsman the incoming player must be ready to receive the ball within two minutes. 

Umpires asked him twice whether Shakib wanted to withdraw the appeal and on both occasions, he refused to do it. As a result, on-field umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth talked to both teams before the decision was upheld.

Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka's fine 108, his second ODI hundred, helped Sri Lanka make a decent total at the end of an eventful innings played in the midst of severe pollution in Delhi coupled with the dismissal of Mathews that turned out to be the talking point of the game.

Sri Lanka earlier slipped to 135-5 following the exit of Mathews but left-handed Asalanka stood firm to rebuild the Sri Lanka innings and put up 78 runs with Dhananjaya de Silva (34) for the sixth wicket stand.

Asalanka hit six fours and five sixes on his way to hundred before World Cup debutant Tanzim Hasan Sakib removed him, finishing the day with figures of 3-80.

Bangladesh will now face Australia in their last league-stage match in Pune on November 11.