Even we can't pick him properly: Sri Lanka captain Asalanka in awe of "superstar" Hasaranga

Abu Dhabi [UAE], September 14 (ANI): Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka was in awe of their premier all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who cast a spell of magic with his "main weapon" googly, leaving Bangladesh's formidable batting unit in dismay and setting the tone for his side's 6-wicket victory in Abu Dhabi at the Asia Cup.

After Bangladesh was left threadbare at 0/2, "superstar" Hasaranga added to their angst by unleashing the most effective weapon from his arsenal on his return after a hamstring injury. In the eighth over, he pinned Mahedi Hasan in front of the stumps with his trademark wrong'un. He continued to knock on the door and came close on two instances with the wrong'un.

Skipper Litton Das was declared lbw by the on-field umpire, but an inside edge during the review came to his rescue. Jaker Ali survived a scare after he tried to defend on the front foot, but was comprehensively beaten. The ball brushed the off stump, but the bails remained intact, which allowed Jaker to continue with his rustic exploits.

Hasaranaga eventually got his second after Litton gloved the ball to Kusal Mendis while attempting a reverse sweep. He returned with figures of 2/25 after his four-over spell. Once his stellar show concluded, Asalanka revealed that Hasaranga's googly isn't just a constant headache for the opposition but a source of agony for their batters as well.

"That was a dream start with two overs, two maidens and two wickets. That is his main weapon, the googly (Hasaranga). Even we can't pick him properly. He's a superstar. Once we got 120 runs, we realised that we should finish it as soon as possible. Brilliant support from the fans. Even Bangladesh fans as well. Want to thank everyone who supported us," Asalanka said in the post-match presentation.

Bangladesh captain Litton identified the moment when they lost the contest, and it came down to their abysmal performance in the powerplay, which left them reeling at 30/3. A record sixth-wicket partnership between Jaker and Shamim Hossain propelled Bangladesh to 139/5, 40-odd runs short of what he had initially projected. With Bangladesh in a do-or-die situation against Afghanistan in the 'Group of Death', Litton remains hopeful about fans turning up on Tuesday and lending their support.

"I thought we lost the game in powerplay. The wicket was pretty good to bat on. 170-180 would've been a different game. On a good wicket, if you score 140, you have to bowl and field well. We didn't do that. Do or die (against Afghanistan). Thanks to all our supporters. Wish they come again and watch our game," he said after the match.

While pursuing a 140-run target, Kamil Mishara led Sri Lanka's charge with the bat and walloped an unbeaten 46 off 32 deliveries to lift his side to a comfortable victory with more than five overs to spare. After being adjudged the Player of the Match, Mishara revealed Pathum Nissanka's (50 off 34) encouraging words that allowed him to express himself during their game-changing 95-run partnership for the second wicket.

"Pathum said to just play a normal game, take your time and do your thing. Very happy to win a game for the country again. I believe in my strengths and work hard for it," he said. (ANI)

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