Sri Lanka cruise to victory

Even before the first T20I started last night at the R Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo two things were certain -- there is a definite difference in quality between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka both in terms of track record and personnel in the shortest format, and that if the two teams play their best Sri Lanka would come out trumps.

Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's announcement that these two T20Is would be the last of his career for Bangladesh in the shortest format may have been expected to fire the team up to win for their beloved captain, but the difference in quality came through in the result -- a six-wicket victory for Sri Lanka with an over to spare.

Mashrafe, fittingly, was the best bowler on the park for Bangladesh, finishing with figures of two for 32 from his four overs, taking two of the three wickets that fell to bowlers during Sri Lanka's chase of 156 to win only their second match in 13 attempts at the premium limited-overs venue of the country. But Sri Lanka's superiority was demonstrated by two of their most explosive players – Lasith Malinga with ball and opener Kusal Perera with the bat.

The deadly swinging yorkers of Malinga had an impact as early as the second ball of the match when he bowled a fast one that burst through the defences of Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal for a duck.

In chase of Bangladesh's 155 for six, it was Sri Lanka skipper Upul Tharanga who set the tone after a quiet opening over of off spin bowled by Mahmudullah. Tharanga hit Taskin Ahmed for three boundaries in the second over and added a fourth in Mashrafe's first over, the third of the innings.

But Perera got into the action with a powerfully pulled six off Shakib Al Hasan in the fifth over, which also saw two more boundaries off the left-hander's bat. Before that over, Sri Lanka were 30 without loss from four overs, but once Perera started his onslaught the match started to get away quickly from the tourists. Mashrafe pulled it back somewhat with the wicket of Tharanga, caught by Mustafizur Rahman at short third man, in the seventh over before foxing Dilshan Munaweera into offering a return catch with a slower ball that followed the batsman in the ninth over.

At 81 for two after nine overs, it was the perfect chance for Bangladesh to mount a comeback through tight bowling, but Perera's wicket was what was needed. And after playing out a quiet over from Mahmudullah, Perera was back to his old ways, hitting a fearfully timed pull off Mosaddek Hossain to bring up his half-century off 31 balls.

Bangladesh did well to keep a lid on the scoring and took the match deep. Mohammad Saifuddin performed creditably on debut and Shakib also kept things tight and could have had Perera in the 15th over, but Perera's mishit landed tantalisingly beyond the fielders inside the circle. With 37 needed off five overs, Perera's wicket had to be taken soon if Bangladesh were to have a chance, but when the chance was offered off Saifuddin in the 16th over, Taskin Ahmed dropped a dipping chance at short third man.

Asela Gunaratne, who had added 41 runs for the third wicket with Perera, was run out off the next ball courtesy of a brilliant direct hit from Sabbir Rahman at cover. But Perera went on his way, hitting a powerful inside out loft over cover for four off the next delivery. A pulled four and a bouncer gloved over the keeper in the 17 th over from Mashrafe brought the equation down to 17 off 18, and then a six off Mustafizur by Seekkuge Prasanna all but sealed the match. Perera did hole out to mid off in Taskin's next over for a 53-ball 77, but another six by Prasanna and a four from Thisara Perera ended the match.

Earlier, after skipper Mashrafe elected to bat, a 45-minute rain delay occurred, but the extra time to prepare did not help Bangladesh much as their innings began with Tamim's departure. Soumya Sarkar and Sabbir Rahman added 57 runs for the second wicket in just 4.5 overs.

The partnership did not last long however as Sabbir was run out off the first ball of the sixth over through a direct hit by Seekkuge Prasanna at the non-striker's end. That set off a collapse of four wickets for 25 runs as Soumya was out in the same over, caught off Vikum Sanjaya. Mushfiqur Rahim soon departed, bowled by Gunaratne off an ill-advised scoop and Shakib was caught off Prasanna in the 12th over.  At five for 82 Bangladesh needed another partnership, which they got from Mosaddek Hossain and Mahmudullah. The pair added another 57 runs in seven overs before Mahmudullah was bowled by another Malinga yorker.  In the company of captain Mashrafe, Mosaddek carried the score to 155 and was unbeaten on a 30-ball 34.