Bangladesh lost the second cliff-hanger in three days to Sri Lanka who chased down 121 to seal the Twenty20 international 2-0 on Friday.
Thisara Perara (35 off 28 balls) and Sachithra Senanayake (12) batted with guts to take their team over the line in the last ball at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium at Chittagong.
Sri Lanka seemed destined to seal the chase with ease after their bowlers and fielders wrested control of the decider thanks to profligate batting by the Tigers.
But Mashrafe Mortaza led the fightback to run through the Lankans’ top order. He turned the game on its head with a decisive double strike.
Kumar Sangakkara (37) held firm to put his side back on track, sharing a 46-run stand with Perera after a flurry of wickets pegged them back.
Requiring nine runs in the last six balls, Perara and Senanayake batted sensibly before the latter rolled his wrists to hit a boundary.
The ball getting slippery by the dew kept Mashrafe from bowling his spinners at the death – a factor that worked against the hosts.
When Sangakkara cut straight Rubel Hossain straight to Tamim Iqbal at short third man, Sri Lanka still needed 25 to win off 20 balls and three wickets in hand.
Mashrafe picked two wickets in an over and consistent pressure pegged the visitors back.
Shakib Al Hasan drew first blood in his first over, trapping opener Kusal Perera (21) leg-before. Then Arafat Sunny went through the gates of Tillakaratne Dilshan (3) to raise hopes of a fightback.
Earlier, superb fielding from Sri Lanka and insipid batting saw Bangladesh wiped out before their quota of 20 overs. Bangladesh’s batsmen resorted to ugly hacks, heaves and swipes before crashed to 120 all-out.
Debutant Sabbir Rahman (26) gave the innings some respectability, before he was removed by Lasith Malinga.
Malinga’s return of 3-20 saw him become the highest wicket-taker in this format with 236 wickets, surpassing Alfonso Thomas of South Africa.
In the final over, the fast bowler deceived Arafat Sunny with a slower to give Dinesh Chandimal his fourth catch of the innings, equalling the record for most catches in an innings with Darren Sammy, Peter Borren and Corey Anderson.
Malinga clattered into Mashrafe Mortaza’s (17) middle stump with a perfect yorker. Before that, Farhad Reza (9) gave away his wicket chipping Nuwan Kulasekera to Dinesh Chandimal at short cover.
Nasir Hossain (8) sent one flying straight to extra cover for a simple catch to skipper Chandimal off Ajantha Mendis to leave his team reduced to 47 for five.
Moments later Mahmudullah (9) was run out after a misunderstanding with his partner.
Anamul Haque (24), who made a fine half-century, albeit for a lost cause in the previous match, came all guns blazing hammering a couple of sixes and boundaries. But he soon fell victim to Sachithra Senanayake for an astonishing catch by Kushal Perera at deep midwicket.
Shakib Al Hasan (12), after a brief aggression, tried to smack Sachithra Senanayake over the top, only to hole out to Nuwan Kulasekera at long-on.
Bangladesh openers returned within only eight balls and with just three runs on the board.
Tamim Iqbal (2) gave a catch to Ajantha Mendis at deep point off Kulasekera.
Shamsur Rahman (1) was the first to go in the very first over. Skipper Dinesh Chandimal latched on to the ball in the air off surprise opening bowler Tillakaratne Dilshan moments after being dropped by Lasith Malinga at short fine leg.
Lasith Malinga topped the Sri Lankan bowlers with excellent figures of three for 20 in 3.5 overs. Nuwan Kulasekera and Sachithra Senanayake grabbed two wickets each.
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Ajantha Mendis picked up a wicket each.
Bangladesh lost the first T20 by two runs in a last-ball thriller on Wednesday at the same ground. The visitors lead the two match series by 1-0.
The home side made two changes to the squad. Sabbir Rahman and Mahmudullah were in for Mithun Ali and Sohag Gazi. Anamul is keeping wickets for Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka have made one change with Angelo Perera coming in for Seekkuge Prasanna.
Bangladesh Squad: Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque (wk), Shamsur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Farhad Reza, Mahmudullah, Arafat Sunny, Mashrafe Mortaza (Cpt.), Rubel Hossain
Sri Lanka Squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kushal Perera, Kumara Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal (Cpt. & wk), Angelo Mathews, Angelo Perera, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Sachithra Senanayake, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga
Source: Bd news24