Spors Desk:
Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto struck a scintillating unbeaten hundred after the pacers showcased a brilliant performance with the ball as Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka by six wickets during the three-match ODI series opener at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Wednesday.
Najmul scored 122 off 129 balls – his third ODI hundred – with 12 fours and two sixes while he shared two crucial stands of 69 and 165 runs respectively with two experienced campaigners Mahmudullah (37) and Mushfiqur Rahim (73 not out) to help Bangladesh reach 257-4 in 44.4 overs to go 1-0 up in the series.
Earlier, Bangladeshi pace trio – Tanzim Hasan Sakib (3-44), Shoriful Islam (3-51) and Taskin Ahmed (3-60) all took three wickets each to bowl the visitors all out for 255 runs in 48.5 overs after they elected to bat first.
Both Sri Lankan skipper Kusal Mendis (59) and middle-order batsman Janith Liyanage (67) scored fifties in their innings but their contributions were not enough for Sri Lanka to post a big total on the board.
However, the visitors got off to a flying start as openers Avishka Fernando and Pathum Nissanka put up a 71-run stand within 10 overs.
The partnership was broken by Tanzim, who first removed Avishka for a run-a-ball 33 before he dismissed Nissanka for 36.
The right-arm pacer picked up his third wicket soon when he edged Sadeera Samarawickrama (three) to Mushfiqur Rahim, who took a diving catch to his right.
Sri Lanka soon found themselves from 71-0 to 84-3 and Mendis then shared two crucial stands of 44 and 69 runs respectively with Charith Asalanka (18) and Liyanage to take their score close to the 200-run mark.
Taskin then brought Bangladesh back into the game again with quick three strikes while Shoriful then cleaned up the tail to dismiss the tourists to a gettable total.
Bangladesh, however, received an injury scare as Tanzim failed to complete his full quota of overs due to an ankle injury that he picked up during the 46th over of the Sri Lankan innings.
Bangladesh lost both their openers Liton Das (0) and Soumya Sarkar (three) early in the run chase after Dilshan Madushanka removed both the batters.
Tawhid Hridoy (three) also failed to make his mark as he was bowled by Pramod Madushan, leaving Bangladesh to struggle at 23-3 in the sixth over.
Najmul then shared a vital partnership with Mahmudullah for the fourth wicket to bring some resistance in their innings before the latter was dismissed by Lahiru Kumara in the 16th over.
But since then, it was all about Najmul and Mushfiqur, who frustrated Sri Lankan bowlers by exhibiting brilliant batting skills to guide Bangladesh home with 32 balls to spare.
The second match of the series will take place at the same venue on Friday.
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