High drama unfolded in the virtual semi-final between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday.

Play had been briefly halted as Bangladesh players remonstrated about two shoulder-high balls in the final over and members of both teams had to be restrained.

The game was marred by ugly scenes on the field as Bangladesh clinched victory in the last over to set up a final date with India on Sunday.

There were bodily contacts between the players of the two sides, yelling and even a broken glass door of the Bangladesh dressing-room.

International Cricket Council (ICC) is investigating the whole incident and it is learnt that Match Referee Chris Broad has already gone through the CCTV footage installed outside the dressing-room.

According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, the Bangladesh team management has “offered to pay for the damage”. According to the report, catering staff named a Bangladeshi player but Broad has decided to make his own investigations.

It all started in the last over of the match with Bangladesh needing 12 runs from six balls.
Udana bowled the final over for Sri Lanka and started with a head-high bouncer first ball.

Udana followed it up with another head-high bouncer which led to Mustafizur Rahman’s run out. It was then that Bangladesh players, led by captain Shakib Al Hasan came out on the boundary line and started protesting the umpire’s call, who initially called it a no-ball but then changed his decision.

Here is a complete description of the drama which ensued in the final over:
19.2 overs: UDANA TO M. RAHMAN, OUT! Rahman is run out! Another shorter length ball around off, Mustafizur tries to pull but misses. This time Mahmudullah wants to steal a bye and calls his partner. The keeper parries it to the bowler who breaks the stumps. It’s referred upstairs and the replays find Rahman short.

Rubel Hossain is the new batsman. Things heating up there as Tharanga pushed one of the Bangladesh substitute players who was out there serving water to Mahmudullah. It has not gone down well with Shakib Al Hasan who is fuming at the boundary line. Wait, he is calling back his batsmen! The match officials are now getting involved but Shakib ain’t agreeing. He wants his batsmen off the ground. Not looking good.

The word is that the square leg umpire called the last ball a no-ball initially for the second bouncer but then changed his decision which got a few Bangladeshi players worked up. It all led to the incident mentioned above. Anyway, it seems the sanity has prevailed now. Mahmudullah is still on the field. Shakib climbs the stairs and goes in the dressing room. He is very angry. Good part is that we will continue with this match.

Better sense finally prevailed as the two teams got back into the action with Mahmudullah smashing the next ball for a boundary. He followed it up with a couple of runs off the fourth ball.

Udana then made the mistake of bowling the fifth ball full on Mahmudullah’s leg stump who picked it off his pads and he dispatched it over deep square leg for a maximum, leading to massive celebrations in the Bangladesh camp.

Mahmudullah, who stood in as captain for Bangladesh in the absence of Shakib in the previous two games, remained unbeaten on 43 from 18 balls with three fours and two sixes as Bangladesh reached the target with 1 ball to spare and set up the final of the tri-series against India on March 18.
Tamim Iqbal top-scored for the Tigers with a half-century while Mushfiqur Rahim contributed with 28 runs.

-Agencies-