Kulasekara nearly throws it away
Plays of the day from the third ODI between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at the SSC
Andrew Fidel Fernando
01-Apr-2017
Danushka Gunathilaka was exceptional in the field - although he needed two goes at a catch • Associated Press
The wicketkeeping wit
Mushfiqur Rahim played a memorable hand in Bangladesh's World T20 loss to India in Bangalore, and it was in that match that the opposition wicketkeeper - MS Dhoni - effected an excellent stumping, by snapping the bails off in the split seconds Sabbir Rahman's back foot hung in the air. Mushfiqur dusted off a version of that dismissal at the SSC, when, having collected a throw from deep point, he dislodged the bails as batsman Dinesh Chandimal sauntered into the crease. Chandimal initially grounded his bat, but it was just after he lifted it again that the bails were disturbed and, as such, was ruled out by the third umpire.
Mushfiqur Rahim played a memorable hand in Bangladesh's World T20 loss to India in Bangalore, and it was in that match that the opposition wicketkeeper - MS Dhoni - effected an excellent stumping, by snapping the bails off in the split seconds Sabbir Rahman's back foot hung in the air. Mushfiqur dusted off a version of that dismissal at the SSC, when, having collected a throw from deep point, he dislodged the bails as batsman Dinesh Chandimal sauntered into the crease. Chandimal initially grounded his bat, but it was just after he lifted it again that the bails were disturbed and, as such, was ruled out by the third umpire.
The near-fumble
Danushka Gunathilaka would have been feeling pretty good about himself when no fewer than five team-mates rushed to congratulate him on a terrific diving stop at short cover. So good, that he almost fluffed the next ball that came to him - this one an important catch. When Shakib Al Hasan picked him out again immediately after he made that save, Gunathilaka parried the ball on first attempt, but managed to grab it on the second.
Danushka Gunathilaka would have been feeling pretty good about himself when no fewer than five team-mates rushed to congratulate him on a terrific diving stop at short cover. So good, that he almost fluffed the next ball that came to him - this one an important catch. When Shakib Al Hasan picked him out again immediately after he made that save, Gunathilaka parried the ball on first attempt, but managed to grab it on the second.
The botched celebration
When Nuwan Kulasekara took a return catch in the first over, his eagerness to celebrate almost got the better of him. Attempting to throw the ball in the air immediately after he had caught it, Kulasekara lost his grip on the ball and sent it rolling into the infield. The batsman, Tamim Iqbal, was convinced to stay on the field by batting partner Soumya Sarkar, and the third umpire was required to give a definitive decision. Upon review, it was found that Kulasekara was sufficiently in control of the ball to complete the catch.
When Nuwan Kulasekara took a return catch in the first over, his eagerness to celebrate almost got the better of him. Attempting to throw the ball in the air immediately after he had caught it, Kulasekara lost his grip on the ball and sent it rolling into the infield. The batsman, Tamim Iqbal, was convinced to stay on the field by batting partner Soumya Sarkar, and the third umpire was required to give a definitive decision. Upon review, it was found that Kulasekara was sufficiently in control of the ball to complete the catch.
The hoarding removal
In an age where cricket is increasingly intruded upon by ads and commerce, the game fought back a little at the SSC, forcing the removal of five advertising hoardings from just beyond the boundary. It was a batsman that asked for them to be taken down. Soumya Sarkar complained that the hoardings glinted too brightly in the afternoon sun, so umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge nipped over to the boundary to remove the first one. As Soumya continued to find them distracting, one by one, four further boards were removed.
In an age where cricket is increasingly intruded upon by ads and commerce, the game fought back a little at the SSC, forcing the removal of five advertising hoardings from just beyond the boundary. It was a batsman that asked for them to be taken down. Soumya Sarkar complained that the hoardings glinted too brightly in the afternoon sun, so umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge nipped over to the boundary to remove the first one. As Soumya continued to find them distracting, one by one, four further boards were removed.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @andrewffernando