Published: Feb 25, 2016, 11:16 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 25, 2016, 11:16 PM (IST)
The second match of Asia Cup Twenty20 (T20) International 2016 was played between Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates at Mirpur. On a bowling friendly track, UAE took the right decision by inviting Sri Lanka to bat first after winning the toss. After a decent start with Dinesh Chandimal scoring a tenacious half-century at the top, Sri Lanka lost its momentum as they started to stumble in between. Eventually, they managed a modest score of 129 runs with the loss of eight wickets in their 20 overs. The target was achievable looking at the batting order UAE possesses but Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara had other ideas in their mind. The duo steamed in and chipped early wickets which was much needed while defending a low target. Swapnil Patil played a lone hand of 37 from 36 balls as Sri Lanka pulled off a comfortable victory by 14 runs. Once again several records were broken and set. Abhishek Kumar lists out 12 interesting statistical highlights from the match.
1. UAE captain Amjad Javed took three wickets from his four overs and conceded 25 runs. This is the best spell by a UAE bowler against any Test playing nation in T20Is.
2. Sri Lanka’s 129 run total in the first innings is the lowest against an associate side and fifth lowest by a Test playing nation against an associate team, while batting first for full 20 overs.
3. Sri Lankan captain Lasith Malinga took wicket of the very first ball of UAE innings. He is the second Sri Lankan to do so after Nuwan Kulasekara — who has done this twice in T20Is. Overall, Malinga is now the 14th bowler to take wicket of the first ball in an innings in T20Is.
4. Javed’s bowling figure of four overs, 25 runs with three wickets is best spell by any associate team captain against a Test playing nation in a T20I.
5. Javed has now 13 wickets as captain, which makes him the seventh highest wickettaker among the captains and highest wickettaker by a skipper from an associate side.
6. Kulasekara’s spell of four overs, one maiden, 10 runs with three wickets is the fourth most economical spell by a Sri Lankan bowler with three or more wickets in a T20I.
7. With three wickets, Kulasekara becomes third Sri Lankan bowler to take 50 or more wickets in T20Is after Malinga and Ajantha Mendis.
8. Kulasekara is also the second slowest to 50 wickets in 45 T20Is of the 11 other players who got there. Nathan McCullum is the slowest to 50 wickets in 53 matches.
9. Swapnil Patil’s 37 run knock for UAE is the third lowest score for his team on a losing cause in T20Is.
10. Malinga’s four wickets for 26 runs is the fifth best spell by any bowler as captain in T20Is.
11. Malinga is now the sixth highest wickettaker as captain in T20Is with 15 wickets.
12. Amjad Javed is the highest wickettaker among all the associate captains in T20Is with 13 wickets as captain.
(Abhishek Kumar is a cricket devotee currently staffing with Criclife.com. He can be followed at abhicricket.kumar and @abhishekkr2593)
