Bangladesh’s top order faced an early collapse, finding themselves at 7/2 in the second T20I after losing two quick wickets. On the final ball of the first over, Nuwan Thushara’s inswinger clean bowled Parvez Hossain Emon, while in the second over, Binura Fernando’s outswinger forced Tanzid Hasan Tamim to drive it straight into the hands of third man.
With the match teetering on the brink of another disappointing batting performance, reminiscent of the first T20I in Dambulla, captain Litton Das and Shamim Hossain Patwary steadied the ship. Both players produced match-winning innings, with Litton (76 from 50 balls) and Shamim (48 from 27 balls) combining for an invaluable 77-run stand off 39 balls to take Bangladesh to a more competitive total.
The early collapse, however, was managed by the steady pair of Litton and Tawhid Hridoy, who shared a 69-run partnership for the third wicket. After Hridoy’s departure, Litton and Shamim ensured Bangladesh finished with 177/7 in their 20 overs. Despite the early setbacks, the partnership of the two top-order batsmen meant Bangladesh were able to claw their way back into contention.
The pitch at Dambulla, as described by commentator Farveez Maharoof, appeared to favour bowlers early on, with an expected average first-innings total of around 165. However, Maharoof also noted that anything over 180 would be considered a secure score. Despite losing wickets in the early overs, Litton took a cautious approach with Hridoy, reaching just 39 runs in the first six overs without taking any major risks.