Star Metro - Bangladesh hold nerve to level ODI series with Sri Lanka

Chasing 249, Sri Lanka were down in the dumps at 170-8.

A fighting 78 by Janith Liyanage brought the hosts back from the brink and set hearts racing in the packed stands.

Needing 27 off the final three overs, Liyanage lofted the first ball of the 48th over into the stands, reducing the equation to 21 off 20 and sending the Colombo crowd into jubilant mood.

But the joy was short-lived.

Mustafizur Rahman slipped in a clever off-cutter next ball that Liyanage spooned straight back for a return catch.

That proved the turning point, as Bangladesh wrestled back control and closed out a hard-fought win.

If there was one man who turned the tide for the visitors, it was Tanvir Islam.

The left-arm spinner, playing just his second ODI, rebounded from a torrid start to produce career-best figures of 5-39 -- a match-winning spell that derailed Sri Lanka's chase.

Tanvir had a rude welcome to the R Premadasa Stadium as Kusal Mendis took him to the cleaners early on.

- 'Nothing to lose' -

His first two overs went for 22 runs, including a 17-run second over where Mendis cut, drove and pulled with disdain.

Mendis brought up his half-century in just 20 balls -- the fastest ODI fifty at the venue, surpassing Thisara Perera's 23-ball effort against England in 2014.

But just as Mendis threatened to take the game away, Bangladesh threw the ball back to Tanvir -- and were rewarded for their faith.

Mendis danced down the track attempting to whip one on the leg-side, missed it completely, and although the on-field umpire turned down the appeal, the decision was overturned on review.

Sri Lanka, who were 75-2 after 10 overs, went into their shells.

The spinners tightened the screws and wickets fell in quick succession.

Tanvir found excellent support from the off-spin duo of captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shamim Hossain.

The pair bowled stump-to-stump, extracting just enough grip to force errors from the batters who had painted themselves into a corner.

With every misjudged prod and risky swipe, Sri Lanka dug themselves deeper into trouble.

Bangladesh had loaded their side with three seamers anticipating a pace-friendly surface, but it was the spinners who spun a web around the hosts.

Earlier, a career-best 4-35 by seamer Asitha Fernando helped Sri Lanka bundle out Bangladesh for 248 inside 46 overs.

The 27-year-old right-arm seamer, fresh from an English county stint with Glamorgan, used a mix of short-pitched venom and clever changes of pace to restrict the visitors.

"We are playing at home and we haven't delivered in this game," Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka said.

"We know we have work to do and we will have a chat and try to bounce back in the final game."

The third and final ODI will be played on July 8, followed by three Twenty20 games.

"We are a young side and we have fought so well in the series, and we have nothing to lose", Bangladesh captain Mehidy said.

"We will go and give our best".

J.Hall--SMC