36-ball spell in a T20I! A night to forget for Matheesha Pathirana

Wednesday, 6 March 2024 00:20 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The first T20I of the three-match series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh went down the wire with the visitors holding their nerve to win by three runs. Despite losing early wickets, Bangladesh stayed in the hunt right till the end and Sri Lanka’s bowling played a part in it as well.

At the end of IPL 2023, Matheesha Pathirana was touted to be the next superstar of Sri Lanka cricket with the ball. He had spent almost two months with the Chennai Super Kings and playing under skipper MS Dhoni, the youngster had flourished. But since then, in last nine months everything possible has gone wrong for Pathirana while playing for Sri Lanka at the international level. He endured a very tough ODI World Cup and amidst brilliance in one-odd game, the bowler with the slingy action is having a torrid time on the field.

Pathirana endured another such game in the first T20I against Bangladesh as Sri Lanka almost conceded the game after having the hosts reeling at 68/4 defending 206 runs. By then Matheesha Pathirana had also bowled a brilliant over picking up a wicket for just two runs. But Mahmudullah and Jaker Ali played proper T20 knocks, Sri Lanka began to crumble under pressure.

Expectedly, the pressure got to the 21-year-old Pathirana as well as he bowled as many as nine wides and three no balls making it a massive 36-ball spell in a T20I. After conceding only two runs in his first over, he ended the match with figures of 1/56 in his four overs. Such was the impact of his and Sri Lanka’s poor bowling that Bangladesh needed 106 runs in eight overs and the equation literally came down to just 12 in the final over.

With Jaker Ali still in the middle, Bangladesh were favourites too but Dasun Shanaka kept his nerves and executed his plans beautifully as the visitors got out of a jail to take a lead in the series. Nevertheless, one has to commend Bangladesh, especially Mahmudullah and Ali, for smashing fifties. The latter was superb with his hitting skills and it didn’t seem like playing only fourth match of his international career. However, Ali’s 68-run knock off 34 balls went in vain as the hosts fell short by just three runs in the match.

But it was certainly a night to forget for Pathirana who is slated to feature for CSK yet again in the upcoming season of IPL.