Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka heaped praise on the openers as he felt that the partnership up top was the key factor in Sri Lanka’s win over Bangladesh. With the win, Sri Lanka made it to the Super Fours stage.
Mendis and Nissanka’s opening partnership set the tone for the win (Courtesy: AP)
HIGHLIGHTS
- Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by two wickets
- Shanaka said the key factor for the win was the opening partnership
- Shanaka explained his role as finisher in the match
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka heaped praise on the openers, saying that the partnership at the top was key for their two-wicket win over Bangladesh on Thursday.
It was a must-win encounter for both sides as a spot in the Super Fours stage awaited the winner of the match. Bangladesh came into bat first and Mehidy Hasan got them off to a good start. Cameos from the likes of skipper Shakib Al Hasan, Afif Hossain, Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain meant that Bangladesh setup up a strong total of 183 runs in their 20 overs.
In response, Sri Lanka got off to a fine start thanks to a strong partnership from Pattum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis that set up the run chase. Despite losing a few wickets quickly after Nissanka departed, Mendis and Shanaka came together and pushed closer to the win. The lower order was able to get the job done for the team and Sri Lanka qualified for the Super Fours stages with four balls to spare.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, the Sri Lankan skipper hailed his openers and said that the partnership between both men set the platform for the run chase.
“At the middle period, I thought it was tough. But when myself and Kusal were batting, I thought it was achievable. I think the openers did a good job. We discussed that we needed that opening partnership from the start. Today, that was the key and that’s why we chased down this total,” said Shanaka.
The Sri Lankan skipper also opened up on his role as the finisher and admitted he thought of promoting himself up the order at first but then decided against it. He also praised his teammates and said that they have a lot of potential.
“I thought of promoting myself, but from the team’s point, I have to sacrifice to come down and play as a finisher. My first priority is for the team. I think Chamika’s run out, we thought the game was gone. But Asitha Fernando scored those two shots very well, these guys have so much potential. It is lovely to see,” said Shanaka.
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