Sri Lanka take on Bangladesh in the 2018 Asia Cup opener at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Follow the live match updates:
# Mohammad Mithun and Rahim have stepped up and started to accelerate. Mithun hammered Dilruwan Perera’s 15th over for 14 runs. Both the batsmen are rotating the strike at a decent rate. Bangladesh 70/2 after 16 overs.
# Mushfiqur Rahim and Mohammad Mithun have their task cut out. Bangladesh desperately need to build a small partnership here. They are two wickets down for 20 runs and Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews will look to restrict the opposition for a low score. Bangladesh 22/9 after 9 overs.
# What a remarkable start for Malinga, who last played an ODI in October 2017. Malinga is moving the ball well and is not allowing the batsmen to settle down with his odd short-ball.
# Mushfiqur Rahim is in at number four.
# Bangladesh 1/2 after one over.
# Wicket!! Dream start for Malinga! He welcomes Shakib Al Hasan with a toe-crusher to rattle his stumps. Sri Lanka are off to a great start. Bangladesh lose 2 in 2.
# Shakib Al Hasan is in at number three.
# Wicket! Lasith Malinga strikes! Malinga swings it late as Liton Das drops his shoulders to edge a catch to Kusal Mendis at first-slip. Liton Das departs for a duck. Bangladesh 1/1 in 0.5 overs.
Dubai: Supporters of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka cricket teams outside Dubai International Cricket Stadium where the two teams will play each other in the opening match of #AsiaCup today. pic.twitter.com/HrXzcCqjS7
— ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2018
Playing XI:
Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Perera(w), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews(c), Thisara Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Amila Aponso, Dilruwan Perera.
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah, Mohammad Mithun, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehedi Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza(c), Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman.
Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza wins the toss and opts to bat
The wicket has hardly any shade of grass and is purely a batsman’s pitch. The flat track, however, will assist reverse-swing with the old ball.
After two major injury setbacks – Danushka Gunathilaka and Dinesh Chandimal – Sri Lanka enter the tournament low on confidence. The Islanders rely heavily on seasoned stars Lasith Malinga, former skipper Angelo Mathews and the hard-hitting Thisara Perera to come good against Bangladesh.
The Lankans – on the back of a horrible One-Day International season – will fancy an improvement in their ODI rankings. Bangladesh, on the other hand, are a dangerous side and have upset the Sri Lankan outfit in the past. World No.1 all-rounder in ODIs Shakib Al Hasan could prove to be the vital cog between the two sides. Bangladesh, however, have often let matches slip away from being on the driver’s seat. Their inability to finish is their biggest weakness.
Squad:
Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews(c), Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Upul Tharanga, Thisara Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Dilruwan Perera, Amila Aponso, Kasun Rajitha, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera, Lasith Malinga, Niroshan Dickwella, Shehan Jayasuriya.
Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mashrafe Mortaza(c), Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Nazmul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Hider Rony, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque.
Source: Zee News