Dasun Shanaka held his nerve under pressure to take two wickets in the final over, snatching a dramatic three-run win for Sri Lanka in the opening Twenty20 international of a three-match series against Bangladesh in Sylhet on Monday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Set a target of 207 runs, lower middle-order batsman Jaker Ali took Bangladesh close with his maiden fifty before Shanaka ended his 34-ball innings of 68 with the third ball of the last over.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Shoriful Islam hit a four from the next ball, leaving Bangladesh requiring six from their last two balls.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But the hosts could manage only two runs to be restricted to 203-8, with Shanaka, who also dismissed Rishad Hossain in the first ball of the final over, finishing with 2-36.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Former skipper Angelo Mathews claimed 2-17 to inflict some early damage on the Bangladesh innings before veteran Mahmudullah Riyad struck 54 off 31 balls to revive the hopes of the home side.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sadeera Samarawickrama and Kusal Mendis earlier slammed a fifty each to guide Sri Lanka to 206-3 after Bangladesh sent them in.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Samarawickrama struck an unbeaten 61 off 48 balls after Mendis hit 59 off 36 balls as the visitors overcame a slow start to put up an imposing total.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Stand-in skipper Charith Asalanka played his part with an unbeaten 44 from 21 balls.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Mendis and Samarawickrama shared 96 runs for the third wicket after Sri Lanka lost their first two wickets for 37 runs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Shoriful removed Avishka Fernando for four with the second ball of the innings before Taskin Ahmed had Kamindu Mendis caught by Soumya Sarkar at midwicket for 19.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Mendis hit leg-spinner Rishad for a four and two sixes off consecutive balls to race to his fifty off 27 balls.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rishad returned for his next spell to exact revenge as Mahmudullah took a well-judged catch at long off boundary to end the innings of Mendis.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Asalanka joined Samarawickrama to continue the assault, adding 73 for the unbroken fourth wicket, including 24 runs from the last over of the innings bowled by Mustafizur Rahman.<\/p>\r\n\r\n