Bangladesh may have started the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka on a winning note after registering a 33-run victory on Sunday but the margin of victory does not reflect the daring comeback showed by the visitors till the end.
Defending the target of 258 runs where Bangladesh managed to take early wickets and had the Lions struggling at 149 for 7 but momentum shifted later on when the Lankan lower middle-order batsman Wanindu Hasaranga, coming in at number eight, launched a cyclone-esque onslaught and tried to take the game deep by building up a crucial 62 run partnership for the eighth wicket with Isuru Udana.
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The right-hander has been a revolution for the Sri Lankan lower order for his ability to score quick runs and in the recent past showed a glimpse of his talent with an unbeaten sixty-ball 80-run knock against West Indies earlier in March this year at Antigua. In fact, Hasaranga’s unbeaten 80-run is the joint highest score by a Sri Lankan batsman coming in at number eight or lower in the ODIs alongside Thisara Perera.
It was a pretty desperate situation for Sri Lanka in the first ODI where Hasaranga staged a brilliant counter-attack with some clean hitting where the right-hander struck five sixes and three fours and reached his fifty from just 31 deliveries.
It did seem that Hasaranga was set to take the game away from the Tigers single-handedly where Sri Lanka required 47 runs off the last six overs before his innings finally perished, after scoring 74 off sixty balls, and so did the remaining hopes for the visitors.
It was the Tigers pace bowling all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin who has played against Hasaranga during the 2016 ICC Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh who eventually dismissed the dangerous man.
Even Saifuddin, who also has the big-hitting ability like Hasaranga, also expressed his desire to contribute more with the bat to emerge as a genuine all-rounder that Bangladesh is desperately seeking.
“I have played with Hasaranga during the Under-19 World Cup and had some idea about his game and although he batted well I am happy to dismiss him by setting the fielders appropriately. Obviously, I am ready to bat in whatever position my team wants whether it’s at number eight or seven. But if you ask me personally I wish to bat at number five which however at the moment looks difficult but I am looking forward to work on my batting,” said Saifuddin.
Interestingly Hasaranga announced himself as a leg spinner when he picked up a hat trick on his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2017. Since then he started showing his caliber as a handy player and in recent times the cricketer has developed himself as a genuine all-rounder by gradually improving his economy in bowling and overall skills and consistency. He remained wicket-less but conceded no more than 48 runs from his ten overs in the first ODI.
Although it is still early days for Hasaranga but even the youngster can be an inspiration for the Bangladeshi players with the likes of Liton Das, Mohammad Mithun, or Soumya Sarkar who despite having all the talents are yet to become the consistent performers which Bangladesh badly needs for their prosperous future.
