||Desk Report||

The Asia Cup 2018 started with the toss ahead of its opening game between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Winning the toss Bangladesh chose to bat first on the batting-friendly track of the Dubai International Stadium. However, the Tigers stumbled in the very beginning as Lasith Malinga started firing on all cylinders to mark his comeback. The pacer collected a brace in the last two deliveries of the first over, dismissing Liton Das and Shakib Al Hasan for a duck.

Tamim Iqbal, too, retired hurt in the second over, adding to the miseries of the Mashrafe-led men. He missed the line and hurt his left wrist while trying to play a pull against Lakmal.

Tamim was nursing an injury on his right hand that he sustained during the Asia Cup-preparation camp on August 28. He has been taken to the hospital to have an x-ray on his injured wrist.

Following Tamim’s departure, Mushfiqur Rahim took a cautious approach while Mohammad Mithun got favored by luck in the beginning of his innings. Together they restored the innings with a crucial 131-run partnership. Each of them also picked up a half-century, but Bangladesh again suffered a mini-collapse as soon as Malinga returned to the attack.

Mithun led the procession back to the pavilion as Malinga dismissed him on 63. The same bowler also dismissed Mosaddek Hossain before Amila Aponso bagged Mahmudullah Riyad's wicket in the middle.

The onus is now on Mushfiqur and Mehidy Hasan to turn the total into a fightable one.

 

Score

Ban – 142/5 (28 Overs)