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Proof that Lasith Malinga's still got it

Lasith Malinga was as good as he ever was playing the final ODI of a 15-year career

Lasith Malinga receives a guard of honour as he walks out for the last time in ODI cricket  •  AFP

Lasith Malinga receives a guard of honour as he walks out for the last time in ODI cricket  •  AFP

"Maaali, Maaali, Maaali, Maaali". Colombo was roaring. There were cardboard cut-outs of the man all over the place. And he was right in the middle with a white ball in hand and an endless supply of batsmen to feast on. Lasith Malinga was as good as he ever was playing the final ODI of a 15-year career, and Varun Shetty had a lot of fun describing all of it on ESPNcricinfo's ball-by-ball commentary
0.5 Malinga to Tamim Iqbal, OUT, welcome to the last chapter! Wow! Malinga has shown up with a classic. Dipping, nasty yorker comes in very very late from a middle stump line. Tamim's reflexive stride across has him locked, and then it's too late to take it out. It's under his bat and it smashes leg stump. Bangladesh's stand-in captain can barely stand up as this craftsman sneaks it past him
Tamim Iqbal b Malinga 0 (5b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
2.1 Malinga to Soumya Sarkar, no run, lbw appeal is reviewed. Another big inswinging yorker. Was that going down? Sarkar was rapped on the boot and then pad. Outside the line of leg stump, seemingly. And then on the bat. Not a great review, that is not hitting the stumps
2.3 Malinga to Soumya Sarkar, no run, bouncer at the throat, does well to keep the bat down and get out of the way
2.5 Malinga to Mohammad Mithun, no run, outside edge as he squares him up. Length ball shaping away from middle. A nervous prod from the batsman, but he's played with soft enough hands to be safe in the slip cordon
2.6 Malinga to Mohammad Mithun, no run, inside edge onto pad. A low full toss swung away outside off. He looks to defend with a closed face
4.1 Malinga to Soumya Sarkar, 1 run, inside edge as Sarkar has an ungainly swish at this slower full toss. No clue with that as it floated outside off
4.5 Malinga to Mohammad Mithun, 1 run, short of fine leg. Short ball on the chest, hooks aerially to that fielder's left, but safely enough in the end
4.6 Malinga to Soumya Sarkar, no run, just keeps it out! Inswinging yorker at leg stump. Sarkar's lack of feet movement means he has room to bring the bat down on this. Just in time.
6.3 Malinga to Mohammad Mithun, no run, beats the outside edge. Swung away from a length outside off, hanging bat
8.1 Malinga to Soumya Sarkar, no run, past the inside edge. Inswinging yorker wide outside off. He looks to open the face and chop this to third man
8.3 Malinga to Soumya Sarkar, OUT, see ya! Persistence will do it! He is not hiding his cards tonight. Three yorkers in a row - but what are you going to do about it? Sarkar tries the only plausible method - the good old full face of the bat to try and defend it. But this goes through and hits leg stump anyway, possibly off the inside edge on the way
Soumya Sarkar b Malinga 15 (22b 1x4 0x6) SR: 68.18
8.4 Malinga to Mahmudullah, no run, past the outside edge. Late outswinger from a length in the corridor, a nervous poke from Mahmudullah
8.5 Malinga to Mahmudullah, no run, squared up but just enough bat to survive. Length ball, outswinger from a middle stump line and he pushes with hard hands and no feet
8.6 Malinga to Mahmudullah, no run, jammed into the turf as he gets the bottom of the bat on this outswinging yorker outside off. Mendis leaps to catch it on the bounce
41.4 Malinga to Mustafizur Rahman, OUT, goes in style! Lasith Malinga seals the win in another chase. Seals it with a dipping slower ball. Mustafizur backs away and manages to connect again, but he's hit it high and to the right of Thisara at mid-off who does it for everyone in the stadium after some serious balancing
Mustafizur Rahman c NLTC Perera b Malinga 18 (14b 3x4 0x6) SR: 128.57
It was always meant to be this way, wasn't it? Lasith Malinga ended his ODI career with a wicket off his final ball.