Desperate B’desh searches for a win to stay in ‘Super Four’
Bangladesh against the Lankans, assuming that the weather remains dry enough for the match to take place.
Bangladesh team arrived in Colombo in the early hours of Friday
COLOMBO: Survival will be foremost in Bangladesh’s mind whereas Sri Lanka will aim for a winning start when they cross swords in the second Super fours match of the Asia Cup on Saturday.
A seven-wicket towelling at the hands of Pakistan in the Super fours opener in Lahore has made victory mandatory for Bangladesh against the Lankans, assuming that the weather remains dry enough for the match to take place.
A defeat will almost certainly put an end to its Asia Cup campaign. Batting is their main concern, and they will have to address it immediately.
They did make 334 for 5 against Afghanistan riding on hundreds by Najmul Shanto and Mehidy Hasan in the league phase, but they came a cropper against more capable bowling units of Sri Lanka and Pakistan, making meagre totals of 164 and 193 respectively.
That propensity to go flat against top-class opponents will worry them going into the match against Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankans have a set of bowlers like Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana etc who can inflict high damage, and Bangladesh know it first-hand.
Sri Lanka are better placed in that department and pacer Kasun Rajitha had also played a handy role in its narrow win over Afghanistan in the last league match of the Asia Cup in Lahore.
Hence, Bangladesh will be eager to see its frontline batters rise to the occasion.But it will not have the services of Shanto, who has been ruled out of the Asia Cup with a hamstring injury as Litton Das joined the side ahead of their match against Pakistan but failed to score too many.
Das could not play the first match of the tournament due to viral fever. So, the team will require heavier runs from captain Shakib Al Hasan, who made an 18-ball 32 against Afghanistan but scored half-century in a losing cause against Pakistan.
In turn, Sri Lanka will hope that its captain Dasun Shanaka will be able to deliver on the morrow.
The likes of Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam can be nagging customers, but then it has not shown in this tournament yet. So, it could turn into a fascinatingly tight contest between two teams who have their own little perturbations.
