Sri Lanka win easy despite Mushfiq heroics
An unbeaten 98-run innings from Mushfiqur Rahim went in vain as Sri Lanka easily beat Bangladesh by seven wickets on Sunday to win the second ODI and seal the series with a game to spare.
Bangladesh's top-order crumbled once again in this match and it was only Mushfiq's industrious innings that saved the Tigers from a bigger embarrassment.
But the loss slumped the visitors to a new low as they failed to bounce back from a lowly eighth-place finish in the World Cup.
Chasing 239, the hosts were off to a great start as the opening partnership brought 71 runs. Significantly, Dimuth Karunaratne's contribution to that stand was just 15 while Avishka Fernando hit the bowlers all around the park. The Sri Lanka captain was bowled in a delightful Mehidy Hasan Miraz delivery.
Before giving a catch to Tamim Iqbal off a Mustafizur Rahman ball, man-of-the-match Fernando slammed nine fours and two sixes to make 82 in 75 balls, setting the perfect platform for a successful chase.
Kusal Perera (30) was the next to go, but Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews made 96 runs in the fourth wicket to seal the win.
Mathews slammed two fours to end the match and reach a fifty, he was unbeaten on 52 while Mendis was not out on 41.
Mustafiz was the most successful bowler for the visitors, with two wickets.
Winning the toss, visiting captain Tamim Iqbal had opted to bat first. After he and Soumya Sarkar (11) made 25 in the opening partnership, Nuwan Pradeep trapped the latter leg before to deal the Tigers the first blow.
Tamim soon joined his opening partner in the pavillion as he dragged an Isuru Udana delivery on to the stumps. He made 19 in 31 balls.
Akila Dananjaya then removed Mohammad Mithun (12) and Mahmudullah (6) in quick succession to pile more pressure on the visitors, who were then four wickets down on 39.
Sabbir Rahman (11) and Mosaddek Hossain (13) also departed soon, but Mushfiq now made 84 with Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the seventh wicket to take the team to a modest total.
Miraz scored 43 in 49 balls, thanks to six fours. Mushfiq fought till the end, his unbeaten 98 coming in 110 balls, courtesy of six fours and a six.
Pradeep, Udana and Akila bagged two wickets each for the hosts.
The third and final ODI will be played at the same venue on Wednesday. A loss in that game will mean getting white-washed, so Bangladesh will be desperate to win that game and finish the tour with a victory.
But once back home, they will need to look into their recent performances and find ways to sort things out.
Becauase even two months ago, they were doing much better.