Mahedi Hasan took 4-11 while Tanzid Hasan smashed 73 off 47 balls as Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the third and final T20I to claim a historic 2-1 series win over the hosts at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday.听
This was Bangladesh鈥檚 first-ever T20 series win over Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka after losing their last two series in the format to UAE and Pakistan.
Sri Lanka managed a below-par 132-7 in 20 overs as Mahedi spun a web through their innings. Bangladesh then cruised to victory with 21 balls remaining despite losing opener Parvez Hossain on the first ball of the innings.听
But Bangladesh recovered well by virtue of a 74-run partnership off 50 balls between Tanzid and captain Liton Das.听
Liton complemented Tanzid well, who continued to charge the Lankan bowlers with sheer timing.听
Kamindu Mendis broke the partnership when Liton threw his wicket away after scoring 32 off 26.听
But after a powerplay of 47-1, Bangladesh pretty much sealed the deal in the middle overs, where they put on 79 runs with just the loss of one wicket.听
Tanzid, who reached his fifth fifty of his T20I career in just 27 balls, built an unbroken 59-run partnership with Towhid Hridoy (27* off 25) to seal the win.
Earlier, Sri Lanka started to lose their way since the last ball of the first over after choosing to bat first.听
After Shoriful Islam broke through by dismissing Kusal Mendis in a 14-run first over, it was all the Mahedi show who replaced Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the eleven.听
Sri Lanka became 34-3 inside the powerplay as Mahedi scalped Kusal Perera and Dinesh Chandimal. 听Mahedi continued to pick up wickets as Charith Asalanka and Pathum Nissanka also fell to him.听
The off-spinner registered the fourth-best bowling figure by a Bangladeshi spinner away from home.
Nissanka, though, tried to hold one end as he made 46 off 39.听
Kamindu Mendis (21 off 15) and Dasun Shanaka (35 off 25) fought to lift the hosts a bit, but they were well below par.听
Shoriful gave away 22 runs in the final over of the innings, but that didn鈥檛 matter in the end.听
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