Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2023 Highlights: SL beat BAN by five wickets

Asalanka ends unbeaten on 62 off 92, Shanaka at the other end on 14 off 21. Sri Lanka only needed one and a half good partnerships to do it and that is what they got. Samarawickrama and Asalanka put up 78 runs off 119 balls for the fourth wicket. The stand between Asalanka and Shanaka, meanwhile, ends unbeaten on 37 off 48 balls.

Asalanka in a hurry to finish this now. Sri Lanka get to 158/5 for five with that, they need just seven to win now.  Bangladesh did a very good job of defending a very low total but in the end, it was just too much for them to do.

His 50 has taken 85 balls, far longer than what Sadeera took but it is just as important for his team, if not more. 

Captain Shanaka is out now and he has scored one run in five balls. Asalanka, meanwhile has got to 44 in 72 balls. Sri Lanka now need 31 to win off 17 overs and so any blame for a loss at this point will really be mostly on them unless Bangladesh play utterly miraculous cricket here.

Oh that is not something Dhananjaya would like to ever see again. He steps out to Shakib, who bowls it full and so Dhananjaya yorks himself. Whooshes the bat through thin air as the ball goes unperturbed and hits the stumps. Sri Lanka need just 37 to win in 19 overs and so why Dhananjaya felt hee needed to do that, only he knows. 

Mahedi goes fill on off for the first ball of the 30th. Samarawickrama comes down the track but it turns away and it goes past his outside edge. Mushfiqur collects and takes off the stumps.

Samarawickrama st Mushfiqur Rahim b Mahedi Hasan 54 (77), SL 121/4 in 29.1 overs

He plays the second ball to covers and takes a single to complete his half century. It has come in 58 balls. A fantastic innings that may have saved Sri Lanka from defeat.

Short from Taskin for the fourth ball of the 23rd, Samarawickrama pulls it in front of square leg to the boundary. Just two runs away now from what will be a well-deserved half century.

Miraz brought back into the attack in the 22nd, the third delivery is floated outside off and Asalanka sweeps to find the gap in the deep.

The stand between these two has reached 50 and it has taken 70 balls to get there. The India-Pakistan match is set to be held on the same ground so there is a very good chance that we will be hearing the names like Bumrah and Afridi far more than Kohli and Babar. 

Samarawickrama has moved to 42 off 44, Asalanka on 19 off 33. This partnership has now brought 45 runs for Sri Lanka in 60 balls.

Samarawickrama is on 26 off 30, Asalanka on 10 off 23. Sri Lanka now need 104 off 35 overs. Bangladesh sticking with spin now with Shakib and Mahedi alternating.

Sadeera on 22 off 23, Asalanka on 3 off six. Sri Lanka need 116 to win in a whopping in 39 overs. They need nothing more than one good partnership.

Shakib sends back Mendis! That is a huge wicket and it is the captain himself who provides it. Tossed up on good length and Mendis plays for the turn. But it stays straight and hits the stumps.

Mendis b Shakib Al Hasan 5 (21), Sri Lanka 43/3 in 9.2 overs

Shakib Al Hasan brings himself on. Sadeera Samarawickrama is on 14 off 11 and is looking really good. Mendis, meanwhile got off the mark off the 15th ball that he faced.

Kusal Mendis hurts himself after putting in a dive. Physio comes out and so we have a brief break in play.

Shoriful pitches the fifth ball of the sixth over outside off, Samarawickrama nails the cover drive for four. A shot of authority.

Well, well, well this game is no foregone conclusion. Not the greatest ball from Shoriful Islam but Nissanka goes for a rather careless cut, it takes a nick and Mushfiqur takes a sharp catch to his right.

Nissanka c Mushfiqur Rahim b Shoriful Islam 14 (13), Bangladesh 15/2 in 3.3 overs

Sri Lanka are 13/1 in 3 overs. A wicket maiden from Taskin there. The ball is doing a whole lot of things at the moment and batting is not easy at all. Bangladesh's pacers have a chance at making a real dent here. 

Oh what a delivery that is, a rip roaring inswinger that crashes through Karunaratne's gate and takes the stumps.

Karunaratne b Taskin Ahmed 1 (3), Sri Lanka 13/1 in 2.1 overs

Here we go then, Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka walk out to open for Sri Lanka. Taskin Ahmed bowling the first over. Can Bangladesh pull off a heist here?

Two of the all-time greats have taken note of what the young pacer has done today. There are also a lot of joyful CSK fans online today, mainly due to the performances of Theekshana and Pathirana.

“Last I played ODIs in Qualifiers. Took some experience and came here. Wicket was pretty dead in first half. That's why I tried slower balls and other things. Very difficult to adjust to ODIs so soon after T20s. But I will manage it.”

A lot of great things are expected off him, first of all because of THAT action and secondly because of the performances he has put up in T20 leagues, particularly in the IPL for CSK. This was his first international match at home and he has got four.