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With the three-match T20I series on the line, Sri Lanka dominated Bangladesh by 28 runs at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Saturday in the third and final T20I to clinch the series 2-1. Sri Lanka pacer Nuwan Thushara registered a historic achievement as he became the fifth Lanka bowler to take a hat-trick in the men's T20I.
The 29-year-old Thushara, who has a bowling action similar to Sri Lanka legend Lasith Malinga, ran riot on Saturday as he picked a spectacular hat-trick in his first over of the match. Thushara clean-bowled Bangladesh skipper Najmoul Hossain Shanto on the second ball of the fourth over followed by his yet another superb delivery to uproot the off stump of Towhid Hridoy.
Bangladesh veteran Mahmudullah came into the crease to face the hat-trick bowl and Thushara completed his hat-trick by bowling the Bangladesh all-rounder lbw out and reduced the home side to four wickets down in 3.4 overs at 15 runs.
Watch Thushara becomes fifth Sri Lankan to take hat-trick in men's T20I:
Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh to clinch T20I series 2-1
Talking about the match, Bangladesh won the toss and invited Sri Lanka to bat first. The visitors rode on wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis' 87 runs onslaught in 55 balls with six fours and sixes each to set a 175-run target. Apart from Mendis, no Lanka batter could reach the 20-run mark as Taskin Ahmed and Rishad Hossain picked two wickets each.
Sri Lanka suffered a major blow in the third over of the Bangladesh innings as their star all-rounder Angelo Matthews walked off the pitch after bowling the first ball of the third over. Matthews was in visible pain as he appeared to suffer a groin injury. Dhananjay de Silva completed the over and picked the first wicket for his side on his first ball as he dismissed opener Litton Das.
After picking up a hat-trick, Thushara bowled opener Soumya Sarkar in his next over while the spin duo of Wannindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana picked three wickets to reduce the hosts to seven wickets at 76 runs in 13.2 overs. Despite all-rounder Rishad Hossain's fight (53-off-30), Sri Lanka managed to win the match by 28 runs and clinched the series 2-1.
