Bangladesh bank on Tamim’s return to draw level in T20I series | Page 2 | Sunday Observer

Bangladesh bank on Tamim’s return to draw level in T20I series

18 February, 2018
Bangladesh hope Tamim Iqbal’s return will hold them in good stead to win the second T20I against Sri Lanka on Sunday.
Bangladesh hope Tamim Iqbal’s return will hold them in good stead to win the second T20I against Sri Lanka on Sunday.

SYLHET: Little would Bangladesh have known that even their highest score in T20Is - 193 - will not be enough to fetch them a win over Sri Lanka in the opening game at Dhaka. The two halves of that game sat in complete contrast as in the second half, the hosts were handed a severe pasting by Sri Lanka’s batsmen.

However, the hosts hope that Tamim Iqbal’s return for the second game will hold them in good stead as they bid to draw level in the two-match series at Sylhet on Sunday.

The hosts’ joy lasted for only an hour and a half in the first game and that was when Soumya Sarkar and Mushfiqur Rahim went on a boundary-hitting spree taking them off to a supreme start. While Mahmudullah’s final flourish took them close to 200, they ideally should have gone past it given the start they had.

Barring left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam, who made his debut, none of Bangladesh’s bowlers could escape Sri Lanka’s belligerent hitting led by Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka at the top of the order. Later, Dasun Shanaka and Thisara Perera added a quickfire 65-run stand to take their side over the line.

While Bangladesh didn’t quite miss Tamim’s services much, his return will still bolster their unit. What they missed though was Shakib Al Hasan’s control with the ball although his replacement Nazmul was the only positive from their bowling that evening.

Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain will need to pull their socks up quickly if Bangladesh are entertaining hopes of a win. Bangladesh need to put up a proper account of their ability in the shortest version as they are currently placed 10 - ranked below Afghanistan and Sri Lanka - with their below-par outcome in Twenty20s largely being attributed to not playing enough games in the format.

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