The smell of fresh paint and the blaze of the welding machine in the media box ahead of the Asia Cup Super Four match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo are ciphers for the eleventh-hour confirmation of the venue following heavy rains in the capital city last week.
And even though the skies cleared on the eve of the game, the teams lock horns under the shadow of the announcement of a reserve day for the India versus Pakistan clash on September 10, which left coaches of both sides surprised.
Bangladesh, however, will have little time to dwell on the politics of sport as it faces the host for the second time in just over a week in a must-win game.
Its fortunes have revolved around its batting, which has blown hot and cold, as has the form of makeshift opener Mehidy Hasan Miraz. He could be joined at the top by the consistent Litton Das even as the Tigers come to terms with the loss of in-form Najmul Hossain Shanto to injury. Their pace trio of Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud will be key against Sri Lanka, which is on a 12-match unbeaten streak, but scraped through to the Super-Four stage after a two-run win over Afghanistan.
While Sri Lanka’s batting seems to be coming into its own, the host’s pacers were taken to the cleaners by the Afghans and will have their task cut out against Bangladesh’s enviable batting depth, which is yet to fire in unison.
