Bangladesh News

Bangladesh went ever so close but fell just short of making history as Muttiah Muralidaran’s whirlwind with the bat shattered the Tigers dream at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

Sri Lanka won the mouthwatering tri-nation final by two wickets to break the hearts of a million cricket fans in the country but credit goes to the Tigers who produced one of the best one-day matches in front of an exuberant holiday crowd.

In the end the locals might have left the field disheartened but as a cricket fan they will definitely remember this match for a long time.

While everybody was thinking of a convincing loss, in other words a mismatch, after home side were bundled out for 152 runs, the Tigers turned the match on it’s head thanks to an outstanding bowling effort. Backed by a dazzling fielding display they turned a ’supposed one-sided affair’ into a superb game.

At the start the Lankans were in ruins, losing five wickets for six runs following a magnificent seam bowling display from the two new ball bowlers Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Nazmul Hossain. Kumar Sangakkara kept hopes alive for the favourites before left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan’s double strikes again turned the table on the home team.

With 114 for eight on the scoreboard, still 39 runs short of the target; nobody expected anything other than a victory for the Tigers. But Muralidaran changed the whole scenario to make sure that this tour will be a memorable one for himself not as a devastating bowler but as a batsman.

It was the 46th over and Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful kept faith in rookie Rubel Hossain as the young paceman from Bagerhat had a brilliant debut in the previous game by mopping up the tail against the same opponents. Muralidaran however decided to make it a ‘do-or-die’ effort and came out on top to ensure a nightmarish experience for the young man.

The right-hander brutally punished the bowler with his unorthodox batting as he smashed three fours and a six to secure twenty runs in the over to silence the crowd in the Big Bowl.

Shakib checked the next over with a maiden but again it was Rubel who conceded twelve runs this time as Sri Lanka reached the target in 48.1 overs to burst into joy, a scene that has hardly ever been the norm for teams winning against the Tigers.

Shakib also set the tone for the Tigers as he started the carnage when Sri Lanka came in to chase a moderate total. The all-rounder flung himself to his left and gathered the ball brilliantly before hitting the target to send back Sanath Jayasuriya in the very first ball of the innings.

From then on it was Nazmul Hossain’s show as the seamer took three wickets to ensure Sri Lanka experienced the worst batting debacle in their history.

With robotic accuracy and devastating seam movement, young Nazmul bowled in one channel to tempt the batsmen while pace spearhead Mashrafe kept up the pressure at his end by bowling out his heart.

Sangakkara helplessly saw wickets falling in one end but never lost his temperament and associated with Jehan Mubarak to repair the fatal damage.

It was another brilliant fielding effort, this time from Nayeem Islam that broke the partnership.

The off-spinner made a direct throw to dismantle the stumps and break the 45-run sixth wicket stand. Ferveez Maharoof then joined Sangakkara to bring the frustration on the home side before Shakib gave the big breakthrough to bring his side back in contention again.

He took a magnificent catch with one hand to put an end to Sangakkara’s fighting knock (a 133-ball 59) that featured six boundaries, but Maharoof remained unbeaten till the end on 38 off 76 balls with the help of two sixes.

It was however Muralidaran’s unbeaten 16-ball 33 which made the difference.

Earlier, in the first session, it was all about frustrating batting from the Tigers where only Rokibul Hasan showed some character during his unbeaten 43 off 107 balls that saw only one boundary after Sri Lankan put them into bat first.

In the end however, the spirited second half made everyone forget just how poor the Tigers batting was.