Bangladesh 324 for 5 (Tamim 127, Shakib 72, Sabbir 54, Lakmal 2-45) v Sri Lanka
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Tamim Iqbal nearly batted through the innings in constructing his eighth ODI century © AFP
Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan flayed Sri Lanka during the course of their 144-run stand that helped Bangladesh post 324, the fourth-highest total by a visiting team against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. The enormity of Sri Lanka’s task doesn’t need much explanation: no visiting team has chased 300 plus to win an ODI here.
Tamim reached his eighth hundred while Shakib made a late charge to score a 71-ball 72 to help Bangladesh recover from a spot of bother in the 23rd over. They batted sensibly for most parts and only cut loose after Tamim got the three-figure landmark out of the way. Mosaddek Hossain and Mahmudullah then wrapped up the innings with a 35-run stand off just 2.1 overs, with Bangladesh scoring 109 off the last 10 overs. Along the way, they comfortably surpassed their previous highest of 265 for 9 against Sri Lanka at Mohali in 2006.
Many shades of Tamim’s batting emerged during the course of his 142-ball 127 in which he hit 15 fours and a six. He hardly bothered running during the 90-run second wicket stand with Sabbir Rahman. Then when Shakib started finding the boundaries regularly, he did well to feed him strike. While he slowed down a touch towards the 90s – at one stage he made just 12 off 18 deliveries with Bangladesh looking to step on – he was largely positive.
Soumya Sarkar fell to an away-swinger from Suranga Lakmal to give Sri Lanka an early opening, but Bangladesh hardly put a foot wrong for the next 20 overs or so. Tamim and Sabbir continued from where they left off on the fifth day of the Colombo Test. Sabbir was particularly aggressive, hitting five boundaries in the space of 13 deliveries at one stage. He survived an lbw upon review and then passed a half-century off just 48 deliveries through a fine paddle. The stage was set but he threw it away by driving one that was pouched well by a diving Upul Tharanga at cover.
Mushfiqur Rahim fell immediately to Lakshan Sandakan as Sri Lanka hit back to temporarily arrest momentum. But Bangladesh’s two senior batmen expertly bailed them out of the situation, initially playing the bowlers on merit before looking to attack. Tamim hammered Danushka Gunathilaka for three fours in the 31st over, and then two more in the next three overs. Shakib then got into the act, hitting his first boundary off the 37th delivery he faced. The pair added 61 between overs 31-40 to put them in a position from where they could dream of 300.
Tamim reached his century with a tickle towards square leg. Shakib got to his 33rd fifty soon after and then struck Lahiru Kumara for three fours in the 45th over. The hosts deprived of Suranga Lakmal’s two overs after he injured a finger in his right hand after being struck by a Shakib drive. He was the only bowler who took two wickets, as the rest simply crumbled due to lack of experience and support from the outfielders.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo