Sabbir's one-man show help Bangladesh first time win against Sri lanka in T20's

                        Sabbir Rahman made a career-best 80 in T20 internationals

After they ran into early trouble, Sabbir Rahman scored more than half of Bangladesh's runs. Their bowlers followed it up by squeezing Sri Lanka in the 148 chase, eventually picking up their second win in the Asia Cup by 23 runs. A packed crowd at the Shere Bangla National Stadium was kept on the edge for three and a half hours, mainly by Man-of-the-Match Sabbir's superb and clean hitting that gave him ten fours and three sixes. The home side's tight bowling and rapid fielding across the outfield stood out too. The loss would, however, ring loud alarm bells for Sri Lanka, especially after how they missed out on taking advantage of the home side slipping to 26 for 3, and later being unable to hit any boundaries for four and seven-over clumps. This was the first time Sri Lanka were beaten by Bangladesh in a T20. On a pitch devoid of any grass, Bangladesh had to defend what Shakib Al Hasan called a "par score" in the innings break. But Shakib and Mustafizur Rahman bowled eight overs between them for just 40 runs, taking three wickets. Al-Amin Hossain finished with 3 for 34. But Bangladesh's defence had not started well. Like he did in the previous match, Soumya Sarkar dropped a catch at slip in the first over, off Taskin Ahmed, this time the lucky batsman being Dinesh Chandimal who had not scored a run. Tillakaratne Dilshan too was dropped, though the chance at wide first slip in the second over was quite hard for a diving Mahmudullah. But Dilshan was removed in the fourth over with Sarkar making up for his drop with a brilliant catch running back about 30 yards from mid-off, diving full length and landing safely with the ball. Chandimal and Shehan Jayasuriya then added 56 runs for the second wicket though, like Bangladesh, they went through exactly four overs without a boundary. Jayasuriya broke that duck with a six in the 11th over but Chandimal holed out in the same over after making a run-a-ball 37 after mainly trying reverse hits in the last few balls he faced. Shakib quickly removed Jayasuriya in the next over, for a 21-ball 26 after missing a wide delivery to get stumped by Nurul Hasan. Bangladesh's biggest fear factor was Thisara Perera because of his performance in 2014 but today he was lackluster, falling leg-before to Mustafizur and Sri Lanka soon slipped to 92 for 5 in the 15th over. Angelo Mathews swung and missed plenty during his 20-ball 12 before he was well caught at point by Shakib running back a fair way. In the 18th over, with 46 still required, Dasun Shanaka finaly struck one sweetly, breaking the seven-over boundary drought. Al-Amin conceded nine runs in the over and Sri Lanka were still 37 adrift from their target with two overs to go. Mustafizur gave away just five runs in the penultimate over before Al-Amin took two wickets in the last over to seal the win. Earlier, Sabbir's hitting spree began in the fourth over when he took three fours and a six off Nuwan Kulasekara to kick-start Bangladesh's innings that saw the openers Mohammad Mithun and Sarkar return for ducks within the first nine balls. In the fifth over, however, Sabbir got into a mix-up with Mushfiqur Rahim resulting in the latter's run-out. But Sabbir responded brilliantly, taking three fours off Perera in the next over. With Shakib, Sabbir took to building the innings and the pair went through 4.1 overs without a boundary. Sabbir broke the shackles in the 13th over with a well-timed six over midwicket which also brought up his fifty off 38 balls. Jayasuriya conceded 17 in the over, with Sabbir hitting two fours right after the six. He cracked Dushmantha Chameera's first ball through the covers and added another four in the next over, off Rangana Herath. Sabbir struck his third six before getting out, trying to repeat the hit through midwicket, but was caught for 80 off 54 balls. At that point, he had scored just over 74 per cent of Bangladesh's 108 runs. Shakib, who had till now struggled to time several balls, and Mahmudullah kept the momentum going with three fours in the next seven balls before Shakib was caught behind miscuing a bouncer in the 18th over. Mahmudullah, who has turned into Bangladesh's finisher in this Asia Cup, pulled a four followed by a six straight over the bowler's head in his unbeaten 12-ball 23, to give them the much-needed final thrust. Chameera took 3 for 30 but Kulasekara gave away 44 runs in four overs. It was quite surprising to see Mathews not bowling his fourth over after he had given away just eight runs in his first three. Herath was economical but didn't take a wicket in his four overs. 

Dipping Sri Lanka face surging Bangladesh

Dinesh Chandimal may be Sri Lanka's last hope in the opening position in the absence of Kusal Perera   

Big Picture 

When Sri Lanka were last in Bangladesh, in 2014, they seemed to be physically incapable of losing. Kumar Sangakkara spent so much time at the crease, the image of his backside is probably burned into wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim's retinas. Lahiru Thirimanne was plundering runs at the top of the order. Nuwan Kulasekara's inswing, and Lasith Malinga's yorkers were humming. Even matches that Sri Lanka should have lost, were somehow turned around - often by outrageous performances, occasionally by umpiring error. 2016 sees two very different teams preparing for the contest. Over the past year, Sri Lanka have sometimes seemed to be physically incapable of winning; habitually trading strong positions for plunging losses. Bangladesh, meanwhile, have taken on an irresistible underdog mien, not dissimilar to Sri Lanka's class of 1996. They are rising. They have unique talents, like Mustafizur Rahman and Soumya Sarkar. And they are led by talisman-warhorse Mashrafe Mortaza. Some more experienced players in this Sri Lanka team have known only Bangla-bashing in their time. But they will know that this time, their buttocks are in danger of feeling the sting of the shoe, which might have switched feet. The visitors will at least be pleased that Bangladesh's ODI dominance at home hasn't yet transferred to the shortest format. They will not be pleased that the hosts' victory over qualifiers UAE was more comprehensive than their own. Bangladesh's cricket has often been unfavourably compared with Sri Lanka's, in the witless campaign to deride their Full Member status. On Sunday, we may get some idea as to whether Bangladesh have gained ground on Sri Lanka, at least in their own country, in the shortest format. Form guide (last five completed matches, most recent first) Bangladesh WLLLW Sri Lanka WLLWL Watch out for A player who made promising starts, then got himself out, when Sri Lanka last toured, Mahmudullah has now matured into a matchwinner for Bangladesh. In this format, his offspin also adds a little balance to the side. He arrived at No. 6 on Friday, and massaged his team's total towards competitiveness, holding out until the final over to break into a sprint. His unbeaten 36 and 2 for 5, typified the kind of performance Bangladesh have now come to expect from Mahmudullah. As Kusal Perera is out and his replacements are misfiring, Dinesh Chandimal may be Sri Lanka's last hope in the opening position. He often takes a little time to settle in, but has been known to clear the infield, on his good days. With Tillakaratne Dilshan often playing the quieter, longer innings as well, Chandimal may well have to hone his knack for hitting over the top during the Powerplay. He made a good start in his new role against UAE, but will face sterner bowling on Sunday. Teams news Bangladesh are unlikely to make many changes because they are looking for stability in their batting line-up. Their bowling attack is also doing well, and may also stay unchanged. Bangladesh (probable): 1 Soumya Sarkar, 2 Mohammad Mithun, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Al-Amin Hossain, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Taskin Ahmed Similarly, Sri Lanka are likely to trial their new-look top order again, and will probably back their experienced bowlers once more. However, there is some doubt over Lasith Malinga's knee which continues to trouble him despite the long break from international cricket. Sri Lanka will make a call on his availability on match day. Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dinesh Chandimal, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Milinda Siriwardana, 4 Dasun Shanaka, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Chamara Kapugedara, 7 Shehan Jayasuriya, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Lasith Malinga/ Thisara Perera Pitch and conditions Mirpur has seen low-scoring games so far in the main draw. The weather is expected to be good for this match. Stats and trivia Bangladesh have not beaten Sri Lanka in four T20s so far. Lasith Malinga's economy rate of 6.43 against Bangladesh is his best against any Full Member side. Shakib Al Hasan needs 87 runs to become the first Bangladesh batsman to score 1000 in T20 internationals. Quotes "Our confidence was slightly shaken after losing the first game but the win over UAE will certainly help us get that back. In fact, it will help us that we beat them convincingly, especially ahead of the next game against Sri Lanka." Bangladesh batsman Sabbir Rahman on the team's confidence ahead of the game against Sri Lanka "In this tournament it's very hard to say which team is the best. But we are always looking to maximise our strengths and our abilities." Sri Lanka captain Lasith Malinga.

Kohli wins it for India after Amir storm

India's pacers did most of the damage early on to set up the win

There is a bar for international batsmen and with Pakistan it is never quite certain which way they will push it. There is never a shortage of spectacle when they play and that box was at least ticked in Mirpur. Pakistan crumbled to 83 all out in 17.3 overs - their lowest ever score in T20Is after batting first. There is a bar for international bowlers too and Pakistan have been vaulting over it for years. Mohammad Amir, playing his sixth international limited-overs match in nearly as many years, turned up like he hadn't missed a beat. He took out Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane for ducks in the first over of the chase, and a low-scoring game that had threatened to be one-sided was given the thrill India-Pakistan cricket is known for. But Virat Kohli's class and technique prevailed in the end and India held on for a five-wicket win. Rohit, who had stood a class apart on a similarly challenging pitch on Wednesday, was beaten for pace and prodigious inswing before he even had his bearings set. The first ball, a yorker, may well have burned a hole through his boot and crashed into off stump. Amir could not have sounded his warning any clearer or louder but his leg-before appeal was turned down. So he pulled his length back but kept the inswing going. Rohit was rapped on the pads again and this time there was no doubt. Rahane, coming as a late replacement as Shikhar Dhawan rested a niggle, saw a wide down leg before he too could not handle the ball bending back into him at over 140 kph and was trapped in front. Suresh Raina popped a catch to mid-on in Amir's next over and India were 8 for 3. Kohli persevered amid the carnage, deflecting the memory of an inswinger that nearly had him lbw and an edge that flew over the slip cordon. Both were off Amir's bowling, but his full quota was all done by the seventh over. After that sensational spell of 4-0-18-3, India gained the breathing room they needed and Kohli's 49 off 51 balls secured a fifth T20I win in six matches in the lead up to the World T20. As taxing as India's batsmen had it, it was hard not to think about their bowlers. MS Dhoni had won the toss and handed them first use of a green-tinged pitch. Ashish Nehra began in vintage fashion, moving the ball across the right-hander and getting it to bounce more than expected. A surprised Mohammad Hafeez nicked the fourth ball of the match through to the wicketkeeper. At the other end, Jasprit Bumrah's natural bustle into the crease had the same effect but he was bringing the ball into the right-handers. Khurram Manzoor's pads weathered a lot of impact as he came in at No. 3 and played out a maiden over on his T20I debut. Sharjeel Khan was undone by Bumrah's offcutter in the fourth over and India's discipline was bearing the sweetest fruit. Then it created a spectacular chaos. Shoaib Malik poked a shortish delivery into the covers and took a few steps down, looking for a single. A non-existent one because Kohli had swooped down on the ball with great agility. It made Malik rethink his decision and then change it but it was too late. Manzoor was barely in the frame when the direct hit found the non-striker's end. To complete the ineptness of that little passage of play from Pakistan, Manzoor had lost his bat in the frantic hurry to turn around and save himself. Seven balls later, Malik chased one outside off from Hardik Pandya and nicked it behind. It was the first of three wickets for a man known more as a batting allrounder. Yuvraj Singh surprisingly came in to bowl the first over of spin, ahead of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. His first ball was angled in at Umar Akmal, who played for turn and was trapped lbw and Pakistan were 35 for 5 in the eighth over. As if to cap a spell of self-destructive batting, there was another silly run-out. Shahid Afridi, whose experience spans nearly 20 years in international cricket, went for an ambitious second run to deep square leg taking on India's quickest man across the turf and the strongest arm, of Ravindra Jadeja. The pick up was one-handed and the throw was barely a parabola. Like a sniper's shot, it travelled along a near straight line and ended up a few centimeters away from the stumps and Dhoni made up the distance. Pakistan finished the eighth over at 42 for 6, the lower order just about doubled that. But it just wasn't enough.

Bangladesh bowlers flatten UAE to defend 133

Like Sri Lanka on Thursday, Bangladesh were given a scare by UAE before their efficient bowling attack led the hosts to an easy win in Mirpur. Mahmudullah's last-gasp effort with the bat and two wickets were backed up by Mustafizur Rahman and Mashrafe Mortaza. Their wickets shook the opposition's confidence to a point from which they never recovered. The win keeps the hosts alive in the Asia Cup, but they would have liked a more comfortable path to picking up the two points. They collapsed from 72 for 1 in the tenth over to 133 for 8, and it was their bowling that proved to be too strong for a spirited UAE, who became the first side to be bowled out by Bangladesh in a chase. Except for the first nine odd overs in the Bangladesh innings, batting didn't seem easy. The Bangladesh batsmen committed one mistake after another before UAE struggled for 17.4 overs in their chase. UAE's pursuit of 134 began ominously when Soumya Sarkar dropped a simple chance off Rohan Mustafa's bat in the first over. Al-Amin Hossain removed Muhammad Kaleem in the next over and Mustafa survived another chance in the fourth over when Mustafizur Rahman was judged to have grounded the ball in his attempt to take a return catch. Mustafa fell to Mashrafe Mortaza in the next over, caught at short third-man, Mustafizur completing the simpler catch. Shaiman Anwar was well caught at point by Mahmudullah in Mashrafe's next over before it was Mustafizur's turn to take a brace in one over. He first took a simple return catch with an off-cutter that left Mohammad Shahzad dumb-founded. Next ball, Swapnil Patil did the same thing, the only difference was that his top-edge carried to mid-on where Mashrafe took an easy catch. The chase spun out of control for UAE. Their captain Amjad Javed slipped on to his stumps in the 11th over before newcomer Fahad Tariq ran past a slow Shakib Al Hasan delivery and was stumped by Nurul Hasan. Saqlain Haider drove Mahmudullah straight to cover as they sank to 55 for 8 in the 13th over. Muhammad Usman resisted briefly before he, too, edged one on to his stumps after a run-a-ball 30 that included two fours and as many sixes. UAE's bowling, however, continued to impress. Mohammad Naveed and Javed took two wickets each, with the former only giving away 12 runs in his four overs. Shahzad and Mustafa also took one apiece but the most impactful bowler was Ahmed Reza with his four tight overs of left-arm spin. Reza has now bowled three straight games without conceding a boundary, and his 0 for 17 today backed up economical returns against Oman and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh's batting had plenty in common with Sri Lanka's effort on Thursday. Both teams sped off to good starts before they were slowed down by spin and collapsed in the middle overs to have very little chance of a late flourish. The significant difference was the 17 runs that Mahmudullah took in the final over to give Bangladesh some confidence at the break. Sarkar and Mohammad Mithun started off with 46 runs in 5.2 overs before Soumya holed out to mid-on for 21 off 14 balls. The dismissal came soon after he had struck a six over square leg. Bangladesh moved to 74 for 2 in ten overs but Reza and Mustafa were slowing them down. The collapse began in the 12th over when Mithun aimlessly took off for a single after the ball had trickled to the wicketkeeper Patil off an inside edge. A maiden T20I fifty was in the offing for Mithun who ended up on 47 off 41 balls with four boundaries and couple of sixes over the leg side. Mushfiqur Rahim's wave at a short, wide, hit-me ball took the outside edge in the next over before Shakib Al Hasan missed Javed's high full-toss and was clean bowled. Big-hitters Nurul and Mashrafe gave catches to long-on and long-off next, before Mahmudullah ran hard, sweetly timed a four and hammered a six in the last over to get his team to a respectable 133.

1st T20I: India v Sri Lanka at Pune, Feb 9, 2016 | Live Scorecard

Sri Lanka tour of India and Bangladesh, 1st T20I: India v Sri Lanka at Pune, Feb 9, 2016

 

India v Sri Lanka, Live cricket score

India vs Sri Lanka Match scheduled to begin at 19:30 local time (14:00 GMT)

India v Sri Lanka, Live cricket score, Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune, Pune, Twenty20 matches

India Squad

MS Dhoni*†, R Ashwin, JJ Bumrah, S Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, RA Jadeja, B Kumar, P Negi, A Nehra, MK Pandey, HH Pandya, AM Rahane, SK Raina, RG Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni*†, R Ashwin, JJ Bumrah, S Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, RA Jadeja, B Kumar, P Negi, A Nehra, MK Pandey, HH Pandya, AM Rahane, SK Raina, RG Sharma, Yuvraj Singh

Sri Lanka Squad

LD Chandimal*†, PVD Chameera, N Dickwella, TM Dilshan, B Fernando, CRD Fernando, DAS Gunaratne, MD Gunathilaka, CK Kapugedera, NLTC Perera, S Prasanna, CAK Rajitha, SMSM Senanayake, MD Shanaka, TAM Siriwardana, JDF Vandersay