(ESPN) Tanzid Hasan and Rishad Hossain blazed quick runs to help Bangladesh overcome some mid-innings chaos to beat Sri Lanka by four wickets. The hosts clinched the ODI series 2-1 after three players got injured in the last three overs of the first innings in Chattogram. Tanzid, who was approved as Soumya Sarkar’s concussions substitute, struck a career-best 84 before Rishad went berserk, slamming four sixes and five fours in an unbeaten 18-ball 48.
Rishad came to the crease with Bangladesh needing 58 runs to win in 13.5 overs. He opened his account with a first-ball six off Wanindu Hasranga, before pasting him for a four and another six in the same over. He slammed two more sixes, off Hasaranga, in the 40th over that cost Sri Lanka 24 runs. In all, Rishad took 40 runs off Hasaranga, from just 11 deliveries. Sri Lanka couldn’t muster up a big total in the deciding game but youngster Janith Liyanage’s maiden ODI century got them past the 200-run mark. Liyanage made an unbeaten 101 off 102 balls with eleven fours and two sixes. But as the Sri Lanka innings was closing, Bangladesh kept losing players to injuries.
Mustafizur Rahman cramped up in the 48th over before Soumya injured his neck and knee in a boundary line crash on the advertisement boards. In the last over, substitute fielder Jaker Ali collided with Anamul Haque, who completed the catch. Jaker had to be hospitalized with a concussion.
It wasn’t just the players whose fitness was tested in this game, with umpire Tanvir Ahmed taking Richard Kettleborough’s place after the latter fell sick due to the heat.
Bangladesh openers Anamul and Tanzid calmed things down, adding fifty for the opening stand.
Anamul however became the first of Kumara’s four victims from his first spell. Anamul lofted a drive to cover after making 12. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto fell in Kumara’s next over, edging behind after just making one run.
Tanzid batted serenely meanwhile, hitting six of his nine fours through cover and mid-off. He dealt well with the fast short ball too, hitting two boundaries slightly fine of the square-leg fielder, and two more through midwicket. Tanzid took a liking to Kumara, slashing him for a six as he took 30 off 19 balls from the fast bowler.
