In a game marred by the ‘timed out’ controversy, Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka by three wickets on Monday (Nov 6) evening at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Bangladesh won their second World Cup match, thanks to excellent innings from Najmul Shanto (90) and Shakib Al Hasan (82), to cement their place in the Champions Trophy 2025. Chasing a difficult score of 280 may have been difficult for Bangladesh’s hitters, especially after Madhushanka sent opener Tanzid Hasan back to the pavilion in the first over. Dew, on the other hand, came to Bangaldesh’s aid, and batting became much easier under the floodlights.
Among the many competing stories in the match, none was more exciting than Shakib Al Hasan’s battle against Angelo Mathews. Earlier in the day, Bangladesh’s captain requested a ‘timed out’ dismissal, and Mathews was declared out by the umpires for failing to face a ball within two minutes of the previous batter’s dismissal. From there, both Shakib and Shanto did not relinquish the momentum, stringing together a stunning 169-run combination that nearly knocked Sri Lanka out of the game.
Just as it appeared that the game was over, Mathews revved up his engine and explained Shakib’s expulsion, with on-air analysts describing it as “poetic justice.”
Sri Lanka’s shaky start with the bat
Sri Lanka batted first and was wary to press the trigger from the outset, meandering at a leisurely tempo. Things went downhill after Mathews was sent back to the bunker with a score of 135/5.
With his back to the wall, Asalanka (108) batted brilliantly for his second ODI century, pulling his team out of a hole. At one time, it appeared that Sri Lanka might surpass 300 runs, but another collapse at the death ensured that the islanders did not complete their 50-over quota.
Despite not taking any wickets, Taskin was effective with the new ball. Shakib and Mehidy were neat through the middle, while Tanzim was extremely pricey.