Sylhet [Bangladesh], March 10 (ANI): After Sri Lanka’s series triumph over Bangladesh, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto asked the visitors to move on from the timed-out incident that occurred during the World Cup 2023.
Nuwan Thushara’s maiden hat-trick and Kusal Mendis’ career-best 86 helped Sri Lanka clinch a three-match T20I series in a decider match against Bangladesh with a 28-run win at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
While celebrating the win, Sri Lanka players made a gesture as they pointed to their watches which originated from the World Cup 2023 incident. Last year during the World Cup clash between both sides, Angelo Mathews was adjudged timed out after he failed to arrive at the crease within two minutes of Sadeera Samarawickrama’s dismissal. He became the first player in the history of international cricket to be timed out.
In the third T20I, Sri Lanka players took aim at Bangladesh batter Towhid Hridoy following his dismissal by Nuwan Thushara. As Hridoy made his way back to the dressing room, a heated exchange occurred between the Sri Lanka players and the batter.
“It is not about aggressive handling or anything like that. They showed the timed-out gesture, right? They haven’t moved on from the timed-out incident. I think they should get out of it. They should stay in the present. We were within the rules [with the timed-out dismissal]. They are in a frenzy about it. I am not too worried about it,” Shanto said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
Mendis who starred with the bat for Sri Lanka talked about his side’s celebration and said, “Someone was doing the timed-out celebrations. I don’t know why. We can celebrate our own things. I think we celebrated because we are happy.”
Coming to the match, Thushara bagged a maiden over hat-trick and finished with figures of 5-20, guiding his team to a 28-run victory in the series decider. Bangladesh were bowled out for 146 in the final over.
Chasing a target of 175 runs, Bangladesh suffered back-to-back three blows in the 4th over as Thushara removed Najmul Hossain Shanto (1), Towhid Hridoy (0) and Mahmudullah (0) which turned the tides in favour of Sri Lanka.
Rishad Hossain (53) and Taskin Ahmed (31) fought back bravely but the damage done in the fourth over was too big for Bangladesh to cross the line. (ANI)
