Mushfiqur century takes B’desh to 261 as Malinga takes 4 on comeback

DUBAI: Mushfiqur Rahim hit a superb hundred under pressure as Bangladesh scored a competitive 261 against Sri Lanka despite Lasith Malinga wreaking havoc on his international comeback in the Asia Cup opener on Saturday.

Mushfiqur scored a careerbest 144 off 150 balls with 11 boundaries and four sixes, his sixth hundred in ODIS.

Save 131-run stand with Mohammed Mithun (63) for the third wicket, the former skipper didn't get any assistance from other batsmen as the wily Malinga showed that he is still a force to reckon with.

Malinga, who last played against India in a home series September 2017, took 4/23 on his return.

Opener Tamim Iqbal's heroic act will also be remembered by one and all as he came out to bat despite having retired hurt with a fractured wrist. Tamim allowed Mushfiqur to have one final blast during the slog overs.

Once Malinga and off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva (2/38) reduced Bangladesh to 203/8, Mushfiqur shielded no 11 Mustafizur Rahaman (10) during the 26-run stand.

Once Mustafizur was out, Tamim removed his hand-cast and came out in order to allow his partner to play the final three overs.

The Tamim-mushfiqur pair added an invaluable 32 runs in 2.4 overs and it could well be crucial in the final context of the match.

However Malinga's superb effort was story of the initial part of the match. Coming back from semi-retirement with a slight paunch and a shorter run-up, Malinga showed his mastery as he bowled four different deliveries to get his scalps.