Nissanka, Asalanka propel Sri Lanka to series-leveller

Sri Lanka narrowly escape a late challenge to win with 17 balls and three wickets to spare

Pathum Nissanka's dazzling 114 alongside Charith Asalanka's swift 91 has anchored Sri Lanka's crucial win to tie the series against Bangladesh in the second ODI at Chattogram.

Despite commendable innings from Towhid Hridoy and Soumya Sarkar (68), Sri Lanka chased down the target, narrowly escaping a late challenge to win with 17 balls and three wickets to spare on Friday.

Bangladesh had a promising start despite an early setback with Litton Das's loss for a duck in the first over.

The Tigers initially displayed strong batting efforts, highlighted by a robust 75-run partnership between opener Soumya and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (40), who smashed a match-winning century in the first game in Sylhet.

Soumya’s subsequent pairing with Hridoy contributed 55 runs before Wanindu Hasaranga interrupted their momentum.

Bangladesh's innings stuttered in the middle, dropping from 130 for 2 in the 22nd over to 189 for 6 by the time they played the 36th over, as key middle-order batsmen in Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz departing quickly.

Support from the lower order, particularly through Hridoy's unbeaten 96 from 102 balls, including 3 fours and 5 sixes, propelled Bangladesh to a competitive 286 for 7.

Yet, this effort seemed in vain as Sri Lanka, initially struggling at 43 for 3, found heroes in Nissanka and Asalanka.

Their counterattack flipped the game, upending Bangladesh's early advantage. Nissanka's century off 113 deliveries, his fifth in ODIs, alongside Asalanka's aggressive batting, put Sri Lanka back on track.

They put on 185 for the fourth wicket, a record for the island nation.

However, the momentum briefly halted when Player of the Match Nissanka who hit 13 boundaries and 3 sixes, and Asalanka, whose 93-ball knock included 6 fours and 4 sixes, were dismissed in quick succession, leaving Sri Lanka to navigate a tense finale.

Nevertheless, Hasaranga, following his earlier bowling success, played a crucial role with the bat to secure a nail-biting win for Sri Lanka and denying Bangladesh a series win.