It was like a short thunderous storm that can perhaps portray Towhid Hridoy’s 40-off-20 bashing in Texas which turned things around for the Tigers over the Lankans in their opening Twenty20 World Cup fixture Saturday (BST).
After each of the 20 teams played at least one or two matches, Hridoy’s 200-volt innings hit top of the category of highest strike rates among the players who scored at least 40 or more runs, according to ESPNcricinfo.
When Hridoy arrived to the middle, Bangladesh lost three wickets, those of openers Soumya Sarkar and Tanzid Hasan in the first two overs, and skipper Nazmul Hossain Shanto, for 28 in 32 balls while chasing 125 on a bowling-friendly pitch.
Hridoy took a single to give strike to Liton Das who finished the over with a boundary.
After three dots and as many singles, the 23-year old right-handed batter went for his shots – three, two, four – in the next three balls before smashing over deep midwicket for his first six in the 11th delivery.
Then, three singles in between two dots were followed by another over boundary but this time, he hammered three in a row against captain Wanindu Hasaranga, who has a good bowling economy rate (6.85) in his T20 International career.
From deep midwicket to midwicket and then deep square to cover, Hridoy’s short thunderous string of sixes during his 28-minute stay at the crease showered rains of runs and paved the way for a late win.
The Tigers required only 34 from 50 balls after Hridoy was trapped in front by Hasaranga.
Experienced Mahmudullah did the rest of the job amid regular fall of wickets and the game was eventually won with six deliveries in hand.
